You had Me at Meow
by Webster'sWeb
Summary: If it hadn't been for his affinity for cats, he might have walked by her a thousand times and never spared her a second glance. But one morning at the train station, something she carried with her caught his attention. Sometimes, it was the tiniest of things that drew two people together. The tiniest of sounds — "Meow." Feel good, slow burn Aizawa/OC.
1. Monday Meows

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Every morning, Monday through Saturday, twenty-seven-year-old Aizawa Shouta's life followed the exact same series of events.

At 5 am, the morning alarm set on his phone would ring. He would lift his dreary eyelids to greet the still-dark morning with an utter lack of enthusiasm then immediately rise, grabbing his phone as he did so to silence it; subtle "Sea Breeze" ringtone, because he hated that obnoxious typical beeping and had no need for disdain to drive him out of bed every morning.

He would immediately proceed to the kitchen to set about popping a bowl of miso soup in the microwave—prepared on Sunday, frozen to keep and morning serving thawed overnight—then shamble to the bathroom if needed or skip if not to put on his clothes, a simple and straightforward assignment. By this point he could expect the soup to be ready, trudging back into the kitchen. Rice heated in a timed overnight cooker would be ready for a bowl, and then an egg cracked over that; if he was really feeling "wild" that morning, he'd substitute the egg with nattō. Sit down, eat it, get up, wash the dishes, then move to the bathroom.

Brush teeth, brush hair. Done.

Grab a snack pack for later and his trusty sleeping bag, then head out the door. Sling it over one shoulder and start walking. Arrive at the train station at 5:20-5:24 am. Slip into sleeping bag and nap until the train arrived at 5:34 am, then get on it to head to the U.A. stop. While other people were hitting their illogical snooze buttons before they even got ready, he saved himself a stress-free snooze buffer at the end.

It was streamlined. Precise. _Logical_. It wasn't exciting, but with a job like his, the last thing he cared for was a haphazard morning routine.

And it wasn't that he needed to take such an early train that spurred him to rise at such an hour. He didn't really need to be at U.A. until 8:00 am.; he arrived at 6:30 am. But that would mean his commute would overlap with the morning rush-hour, and if there was anything he hated about mornings it was sitting on a crowded train surrounded by people. The early-hour train and the location that he chose to call home insured that the train was sparse, quiet, and reasonably comfortable. Plus, he got to front-load classwork from the day before or line things up for the day ahead before anyone else got there, and Vlad loved to fight with him over the whiteboard for planning—irrationally competitive.

And that morning as he got to the station was no different. He tucked into his sleeping bag and sat down in the same spot on the same bench that he always did, casting a glazed glanced around the area which confirmed that, once again, there was nothing exciting here. Just the same small, early-morning crowd that there always was, faces that he could identify as regular fellow commuters but not by name, nor did he care to learn that information. One of the benefits of living in a less populated area was, of course, less _people_. Up came the zipper to his chin and he closed his eyes, settling back in his seat for a light doze.

The minutes ticked by uneventfully and quietly just as they always did. It was so ingrained that he could almost feel the exact minute the train would come; could open his eyes just seconds before he heard it to check the clock at the station and confirm it without wasting a single moment of shut-eye.

But that didn't happen today. Because this Monday morning was about to mix things up. Just a little. A tiny bit. Enough to make him open his eyes (which was, frankly, remarkable).

Aizawa heard footsteps. No, this wasn't remarkable, so he kept his eyes closed for that. His ears couldn't close, though. They were hurried footsteps, coming closer and closer until they passed him by, right in front of him, close enough to hear the runner's panting. He didn't open his eyes. Didn't care. But scarcely a moment after the runner passed by, something _did_ catch his attention. A scent.

It smelled _amazing_. Pleasant, sweet, and fresh; like baking desserts, vanilla, or fruit. Or all those generically wonderful scents in one, so to speak. But not them. Something _better_. Primal. Triggering something instinctual. It gave him a jolt. His eyes were open before the conscious thought to open them registered, staring straight across the tracks. _The runner,_ said his logical brain, ears still detecting the _tap-tap_ of receding shoes. His eyes snapped to the right, following the sound.

The runner was a woman. She slowed to a stop as she reached her destination and turned to face the tracks, looking around as if getting her bearings while catching her breath. When she caught sight of the time listed at the station her face flooded with an expression of relief. 5:33 am. She had just barely made it.

Aizawa eyed her, an unusually intense compulsion driving him to do so brought on by the scent in his nostrils. Gray scrubs and scrubs jacket—medical field, maybe?—, dark grey beanie covering all of her hair, same-colored scarf and gloves, white sneakers, a slim and practical black purse. She certainly wasn't trying to impress anybody with that drab get up. _But it didn't deter him. She looked slim and attractive in gray and there was just something so interesting, so alluring about her that made him want to get up and—_

He took another breath and smelled the train station. Aizawa blinked. The feeling was gone. She was just some woman he was staring at. As if sensing his scrutiny, her face shifted his way. Eyes coal black met eyes pure blue. Then he looked away. Staring was creepy. He was not creepy.

She scanned his pale, disheveled face, unkempt hair, and sleeping bag then looked away too, appearing a little worried as she quickly pulled up the scarf on her neck to cover her mouth and trap her elevated breathing.

Aizawa stared straight across the tracks without looking at her again, but he had gotten a good look at her face from that brief moment of eye contact. He didn't recognize her as part of the normal early-hour commute group. Vivid blue eyes behind silver, half-rimmed glasses. Fair skin and fine features, dark eyebrows so likely hair that matched. She was definitely pretty. Any man would notice that. But as for that magnetic intensity that had made him look, at the moment when their eyes met, Aizawa had felt... nothing. Absolutely _nothing_. Whatever it was about her that had commanded his attention had gone with her scent.

And about that scent; what was it? He thought about it for a few moments, sorting through a few possible solutions based on her proximity to him when passing by and the intensity of the scent. His mind settled on the most logical conclusion.

Perfume.

Some _damn_ _good_ perfume.

"Hm." A scent like that would have made Midnight weep. He closed his eyes again, satisfied with that conclusion and his assessment of her. And then promptly opened them again, because he heard the train coming. Dang. That cost him a minute of shut-eye. He stepped out of his sleeping bag and tucked it under his arm. He didn't look back at the woman, neither while boarding nor after. The moment of disruption to his predictable morning had passed, so he tucked back into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.

And thus, just like that, like every other woman encountered in his life, this brief but stirring encounter prompted him to do… nothing. Absolutely _nothing_. What did you expect? This was Aizawa Shouta, a man of logic, and if there ever was anything illogical it was the tedious efforts of maintaining an unnecessarily complicated romantic relationship. Besides, he worked with _Midnight_ for heaven's sake. It took more than a bit of fancy perfume to rouse him to action when his dedicated refusal to acknowledge such things possessed such a high level of tolerance.

So he did nothing, and as for the woman, she did nothing, and they both carried on in their ways of nothingness without any acknowledgment of the other. He filed her away mentally as ' _woman who wears gray and smells nice at train station_ ' and she filed him away as ' _disheveled guy in sleeping bag at train station; possibly homeless_ '.

And when she appeared again at the station the next morning, this time a fair bit earlier, this mutual nothingness persisted. As Tuesday went and Wednesday came, then Thursday, and then Friday, it became apparent from her presence each morning that she was going to be a new regular occurrence; though only Monday through Friday it would seem, for on that Saturday she was not seen. And thus she entered the ranks of the nameless faces in Aizawa's early-morning commute, no more interesting than the rest. That perfume which had struck him so strongly didn't get the chance to strike again for she did not pass near him again, always picking a place to stand some distance to the left of his chosen bench to stand.

It was winter when they first encountered each other and would not be for several months more before anything changed. Indeed, the two of them remained impressively consistent each noticed of the other with distant acknowledgment. Even as winter passed and settled into spring, she never parted from her beanie, scarf, gloves, and long sleeves. He made an edit to his mental file of her: ' _apparently always cold_ '.

And as for her, his yellow sleeping bag stood out like a familiar beacon every morning in the drab monochrome of the station. It was puffy and always covered him completely aside from his face and some shaggy black hair. She thought it made him look like a caterpillar. And when he shed it, out popped a black as night… well, not butterfly. Maybe a stick insect. Or a spider, with that ragged looking gray scarf encircling his neck like swirls of spider silk… She wasn't sure where the analogy was running to in her head. But his regular presence did settle her mind on one thing: ' _consistent schedule: work? Maybe not a bum_ '.

The two of them could have continued on like this forever, two ships ever passing in the night, had it not been for one fateful Monday morning at the beginning of summer when he finally took notice of her. Well, not her. What she was carrying.

"Meow."

Meow. A tiny meow. Perhaps… a tiny cat? He opened his eyes. If there was anything, _anything_ at all that was going to catch the attention of Aizawa Shouta without effort, it was going to be a cat.

His eyes searched and found ' _woman wearing gray'_ carrying a mesh-sided red cat carrier. Well now, that was a deviation from the norm. Interesting. He kept watching her.

She went to stand at the same place that she always did some distance to his left.

"Mew… mew, mew. Meow!"

It… sounded like more than one? Very interesting. He kept watching, eyes shifting from her and gluing to the cat carrier. No, a pleasant-smelling woman couldn't hold his attention, but cats, especially multiples and possibly in the diminutive form, could.

His eyes were pinned on the mesh sides of the cat carrier, straining to see in, but there wasn't enough light or clarity to make out anything cat. Disappointing. His eyes lingered for a while before they drifted away and closed in resignation. No point in looking for what you can't see. They stayed closed until the train came, but always there was a little "mew" playing in his ears, taunting him. He gave a few furtive glances her way as they boarded, but no luck.

"Mew."

They didn't let him forget them on the whole way to his stop even with his eyes closed. When he got up to exit the train, he had a decision to make. There was the door closest to him or the door on the other side of her. The first was objectively speaking the most logical. But based on personal interest, the second door was also logical because it meant passing by the cat carrier, and that could give him a glance to satiate his interest. He deliberated for a moment, then resolutely stepped to the left for the closest door. He wasn't _that_ desperate to look at her cats.

Sure, this whole issue could have been avoided if he had simply _asked her_ to look at them, but that would have required social interaction and that was too much effort. Besides, there were always more cats. He could look up pictures of cats on his phone right now if he wanted. He didn't have to look at _her_ cats.

"Meow!"

…No matter how much they made him want to look.

So his Monday morning passed without any sighting of the cats in the carrier and the day proceeded. Life went on as usual, and by the time he came home on the same train that night they were nothing but a faint memory. He never did see 'woman in gray' on his evening train, and whether she took a train earlier or later than him he neither knew nor could be bothered to care. But then Tuesday came.

"Mew."

The carrier was back again. He peered furtively at her from the corner of his eye as she came up to her usual standing spot. Cats again? That seemed a bit unusual. Didn't people usually just bring them one day for a vet checkup or whatever? It was mildly intriguing, but not enough to make him ask. That was her business, not his. Tuesday came and went without a sighting of the cats.

"Mew!"

Wednesday, to his mild surprise, it was the cats who were waiting for him. 'Woman in gray' didn't often beat him to the train station, but it looked like she was getting an early morning start. Not that he cared about her. He eyed only the carrier as he walked by behind her at a cautionary, non-space-intruding distance to get to his seat. There wasn't any obvious big cat from what he could tell—which wasn't much, low early-morning lighting and mesh getting in his way—so that at least confirmed for him that it was kittens. The only thing better than a regular cat.

When it came time to decide between exiting the train to the left or the right, the confirmation of kittens was enough to make him cave and take the right for the first time. But he couldn't just stop and stare (too creepy), so he passed by a little slower than normal with a furtive, side-long look, head turned only a little as he passed by the carrier. It just looked dark in there through the dark mesh, as if she had a dark blanket down under dark kittens. Everything to thwart his attempt. He moved on with yet another day passing without a kitten sighting.

By this point, you must surely be thinking: how ridiculous! Just ask her about the kittens, Aizawa! And certainly, if he were not so anti-social and more like a normal person, perhaps he might have commented on them. But opening the door to discussion opened the possibility that she would keep wanting to talk to him. Aizawa liked his space. He didn't care much for people in his space. His mornings were simple and streamlined and 'his' time, and he didn't want that to change. She might be quite ridiculous for all he knew, and then he'd be stuck with her annoying him every morning. He didn't want that. So he didn't ask.

But fortunately for this story, Thursday decided to force his hand.

"Meow."

Another morning of kittens and a new deviation; sitting on the end of the same bench he was sitting on. The closest she had been to him since that first encounter. His eyes lifted and his head turned a little, looking over at the cat carrier with a sidelong stare. She was just about a meter away now with the carrier in her lap, looking down through the mesh top with a smile. Maybe he could see them, too. But no, her arms were curled around the carrier's sides, obscuring his view.

He caught a glimpse of what might have been a tiny head, but then her arms curled further, constricting about it like a serpent as she hunched down. It made his attention flick to her, and thus he realized that she looked rather tired upon actual first inspection. She looked like she wanted to use the carrier as a make-shift pillow, but not fully, keeping her head hung low and looking in at the feline contents as her eyelids drooped. He looked back at the carrier, but as it was clear he would not catch a glimpse of anything cat, he lost interest, straightening his head and closing his eyes again.

"Mew… mew, mew." Once again, they didn't quite let him forget about them, though. "Mew."

They lingered in his awareness as the sound of the train eventually approached, prompting him to open his eyes. He glanced over at them. She looked like she had given up and fallen asleep, her head resting on the carrier and her body curled around it like some sort of nesting bird. He figured she'd wake up at the sound of the train, so he paid her no mind and got out of his sleeping bag, folding it over his arm and standing ready for the doors.

"Meow."

The train stopped. The doors opened.

"Meow!"

He paused, figuring he'd spare the unseen kittens one more glance with the hope of catching sight of them now that her arms were out of the way. But upon looking back he discovered this would not be the case, for she was still exactly as his last glance had left her; asleep. The doors were open, but he didn't budge.

"Mew."

It wasn't his business if someone missed their train, especially not a stranger. Well, sure, it wasn't very _heroic_ to let them miss it, but he wasn't on the clock. And it would be a hassle to turn back.

"Mew… meow."

But if not doing it meant that helpless kittens didn't get to where they needed to go—well now, that was just criminal.

"Hm." He grumbled and turned back, walking over to the bench and stopping in front of her. "Hey…" She didn't even twitch. He looked unamused, but tried again anyway, louder. "Hey."

She finally twitched, eyelids flittering as her head lolled up. Her eyes came into focus on what was in the space in front of her—black shirt, belt, pants, masculine build—and that seemed to snap her awake fully. She jolted up with her eyes wide, startled to find him standing there and looking up at his face. He looked down at her blandly with his sleeping bag slung under his left arm. He lifted his right hand and thumbed it over his shoulder.

"The train is here. You take this one, right?"

She didn't respond, eyes set on him for a moment then flicking passed him to the train. She shot up. "Oh jeez!"

She dashed as fast as one could while carefully holding a cat carrier, passing by Aizawa's right shoulder with an exasperated huff. It was only a brief moment, but as she did so she brought that scent with her, brushing his senses with the same electric jolt as before, many months ago now. He tensed, face turning sharply to follow her with his eyes locked on as she moved past.

 _That sweet aroma washing over his senses and pulling at his legs; follow her, it said, follow after her—_ And then she was on the train and out of his sight. He blinked, snapping out of it. His right hand was still lifted in the 'thumbed' positioned over his shoulder, and realizing this he quickly turned and moved back to the train, shaking his head a little. Man, what the heck was in that perfume?

He boarded and looked around, finding her immediately. Maybe he expected that same electric feeling, but no. She was just… ' _woman wearing gray_ ' again… ' _with cats_ '. How illogical. A little perplexed, he walked her way cautiously. He didn't go to sit by her, instead choosing a seat two down from her and facing her; a respectable distance on the sparsely populated train. He unfolded his sleeping bag and hunkered back down into it, sending furtive glances her way. She was looking down into the cat carrier again, though this time with her lips pursed as though with determination to not fall asleep again, and she kept her back straight to uphold that aim.

After a while of casting subtle glances her way he grew bored with the unexciting endeavor, and with a quiet exhale through his nose he closed his eyes. They were closed for quite some time before he was roused by something unexpected.

"Um… hey? Sir, in the sleeping bag?"

Well, that could only be addressing so many people. Timidly spoken, and by a woman. He cracked his eyes open and peered over, finding ' _woman in gray_ ' looking over at him sheepishly from across the way. Seeing she had his attention, she continued.

"I didn't thank you earlier… So thanks!" She sent him a sweet smile.

Faint surprise passed through his eyes, not really expecting any thanks, then he was back to neutral. "Oh. Sure." They looked at each other for a moment in silence, expressions held, then looked away mutually.

And that was the end of it. They didn't speak nor look at each other again until the train came to Aizawa's stop. He got up and started walking. To get to the nearest door he had to walk past her, and as he did he slowed. She had tilted her head back to lean it on the seat and closed her eyes; hopefully just resting and not sleeping this time, because two good deeds in one morning was just really pushing his altruism quota. He peered over at the cat carrier one last time, hoping his height would give him some vantage point this time.

"Mew."

Her arms were wrapped around it loosely, but not fully obscuring it this time. He could somewhat make them out, but dark mesh on dark cats on dark blankets still wasn't doing his eyes any favors. He was about to move along when her arms suddenly pulled back. He looked up quickly and their eyes met, though she was smiling and didn't seem bothered by him looking. She lifted the cat carrier in silent invitation. Aizawa looked a little embarrassed about getting caught looking and his eyes flicked to the train door as if he was considering retreating from the interpersonal exchange, but the allure of kittens won out and he leaned in for a closer look.

 _Oh?_ He looked a little a surprised. Three tiny, dark little kittens, eyes still closed and ears just small folds. He could have balanced two of them in one hand. "They're really young."

"Just over a week," she confirmed.

"Huh…" He pulled away, straightening. "Well, good luck." He turned to leave the train.

"Thanks." She smiled, watching his back go. "Have a good day."

For a moment he thought to do nothing as usual, but then a little spark of good humor prodded him to lift his hand in a lazy wave of acknowledgment, walking off the train without looking back.

Yeah, it would be a good day; now that he had finally started it with cats.

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 **This is a story that I am committed to finishing, so to all of you wonderful readers who made it this far, thank you and enjoy! :)**

 **I'm aiming for updates about every 3 weeks; if I expect to take longer, I will post it in the chapter note so do not fear.**


	2. Pleased to Meet You

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The next day was Friday, and Friday meant more cats.

"Mew."

Aizawa opened his eyes and looked over to watch ' _woman in gray_ ' take a seat at the end of his bench. She settled back and glanced his way as if anticipating him with a smile in acknowledgment, though said nothing. His eyes held on hers for a moment then shifted down to the cat carrier; perhaps out of habit by now. Her eyes remained on his, tracking their focus, and at that moment a small kindness possessed her as she recalled his interest in them the day before.

She lifted the cat carrier from off her lap and shifted it beside her on the bench, giving it a slight push to put it equal distance between her and the bundled-up man in his sleeping bag. Aizawa shifted his head in response, eyelids lifting a bit in mild though pleasant surprise at this. His gaze flicked up briefly, meeting hers and examining the friendly smile on her face, then lowered to the carrier again. He shifted forward somewhat, hunching over to bring his eyes to the kittens' level as he peered in.

They certainly were tiny, the thought occurred to him again. And she had a different blanket in there this time; a light blue one. Their black fur stood out much better. Though one he noted had a tiny and well-placed white mustache.

"Mew!"

It was quite a loudmouth, too, squirming and mewing against its siblings. They seemed to have bits of white also, one with white toes and belly and the other with just a splash of white on the chest.

"You seemed to like them yesterday." His eyes lifted as she spoke again, finding her still looking at him kindly. "Thanks again for that… you really helped me out." Her smile turned sheepish. "And I'll be sure not to fall asleep again."

Her eyes held on him for a few moments then flicked down to the cat carrier briefly before she straightened her head and looked out over the tracks. Apparently, she was not demanding of a reply, for Aizawa's following silence did not seem to bother her. He looked her over for a number of seconds, thinking, then his eyes returned to the kittens. There was no expectation to speak to her. He really didn't have to. But a tiny bit of curiosity was starting to work its way into his thoughts, and her apparent gratitude and non-demand for pointless conversation were not off-putting.

"… Is there something wrong with them? Or is it just take your cats to work day again?"

"Hm?" She blinked and looked at him quickly. "Oh no, they're fine, don't worry. They're just so young that I need to feed them every few hours, so they come along with me to work."

He mulled that over for a moment, drawing some logical conclusions. "Their mother's not around, then?"

She nodded. "She was a stray one of my neighbors was keeping an eye on. My neighbor recognized the mother's body on the side of the road last Saturday, so she called me about what to do with the kittens. It was a really unfortunate situation, they were only two or three days old. I came over to get them and well, here we are." She gestured a hand and a pointed look at the kittens.

"Hm..." His eyes held on her for a while. It did raise his neutral opinion of her to a positive one knowing that she was the type to take on stray cats like that.

"How often do you feed them?"

"Every two to three hours."

"Hm. That's rough."

"Yeah. Twenty-four-hour caregiver." The look on her face said it all, as did the bags under her eyes. But her mouth suddenly turned up in self-deprecating humor. "Heh, I just spend my whole night taking 'cat naps'!" She gave a disparaging chuckle like she knew she told a bad joke. It was an easy, pleasant laugh, though. The corners of Aizawa's lips twitched.

"For how long?"

"Until they're weaned, so about the next two months… I won't have to feed them quite so frequently by then, though. Thankfully, I've got coworkers who are willing to give me a break, so that's where these little fellas are headed this weekend." She gave the cat carrier a light pat.

"Hm."

Aizawa could have kept commenting and carrying the conversation like a normal person, but that certainly wasn't him. His curiosity about the kittens having been satiated, he said nothing more. They fell into silence again for a long stretch with Aizawa watching the kittens for a little while before settling back and closing his eyes, pleasantly satisfied with his daily dose of cats.

His new bench companion though didn't dare close her droopy morning eyes, five full days of around-the-clock kitten care weighing them down. The silence of the station was tempting, though, as she stifled a yawn. She shifted a little in her seat and glanced over at the disheveled man on the bench. He was back to resting with his eyes closed like he did every morning. He was quite predictable like that. She hesitated for a moment, then her lips parted.

"Do you have any cats?"

"Hm?" He gave a questioning grunt but didn't open his eyes.

"You seem to like them."

"Mm, no." He fell silent for a moment then added in clarification, "I just like them."

"Oh." She thought for a moment then gave a wry, half-serious smile with one eyebrow raising. "Do you want one?"

He snorted and cracked an eye open, sending her a fairly humored though incredulous look. "Looking for takers already?"

"Heh, well... they're going to grow up fast."

He watched her for a moment then closed his eye again. "... Nah. I don't have time for a cat."

"Oh." Her smile faded and she studied him for a bit, deliberating. "... Do you have a busy job?"

"Mm-hm."

"What do you do?"

"... Teacher."

She looked surprised. " _Teacher?_ But you look—" Whatever inhibition was left in her tired brain throttled her tongue before it could get any further into what would assuredly be taken as an insult, leaving her sentence hanging. "—...Uh."

Aizawa seemed to catch her drift in an instant, the casual good atmosphere between them freezing up as he opened his eyes and peered over, fixing her with an expectant stare. "Like a bum" was surely the phrase that was on her mind. That was a line he had heard plenty of times before, though that didn't make it any less annoying.

"… Uh?" He prodded, testing to see what she'd come up with. That usually offered sufficient amusement to offset the initial insult.

"Uhhh…" Her eyes flicked across his pale skin, baggy eyes, scruffy chin, and sleeping bag then darted away while her cheeks reddened. Her gaze slid to the side as she muttered her honest thought timidly out of the corner of her mouth. "Like a walking _Karōshi_?" Literally translated as " _overwork death_ " (過労死). "I mean, bringing a sleeping bag to work… you look like you just got out of bed, or off the streets. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"…"

His silent stare spurred a hasty scramble in her. "I mean, not that your health is any of my business! Just, well, health sort of _is_ my business, animal health, anyway… never mind!" She looked at him with a sleepy-eyed, apologetic smile, heat rushing to her cheeks as she waved her hands dismissively. "I'm just rambling because I'm tired, I guess you look relatable… obviously looking tired isn't a bad thing! I'm sure you work hard."

Aizawa kept staring at her as she shrank down and looked away over the tracks, thoroughly embarrassed with herself. A walking _Karōshi_ , huh? That was unexpected... and rather scathing. Although to her credit, she was factually accurate; he _had_ just gotten out of bed scarcely thirty minutes ago. And he did work hard; though he preferred 'efficiently'. Part insult, concern, and legitimate critique rolled into one. But at any rate, it wasn't "bum" so he decided to give her a point on originality and say nothing, shifting his eyes straight ahead away from her and settling back in for a rest to forget about it.

They were both quiet for some time.

"Sorry."

Aizawa cracked opened an eye. She still looked embarrassed; as if she had been stewing over her words the entire time. "I've insulted you."

"Oh." He closed his eye again. "Don't worry about it. Takes a lot more than that."

Silence. Aizawa opened his eye again and confirmed that it looked like his flat response had not assured her. Well whatever, that wasn't his business. He closed his eye again. Except... it _did_ bother him a _tiny_ bit. Despite her blunder, ' _woman in gray with cats'_ had done more than the average person would bother doing to attempt to repair the damage, namely by apologizing. People didn't care to acknowledge his feelings often. The snubbed moment he had felt had passed, and he still felt a faintly positive inclination for her presence with her offer of kittens and good nature in coming to their aid.

His eye cracked open again and looked at the clock. And time seemed to be passing remarkably quickly with her talking to him, and said talking wasn't leaving him with a particularly pestered feeling. In short: logically, he had no reason to return her good-will offering of kittens that morning with self-conscious gloom.

"… So. Animal health, huh?"

"Hm?" She looked at him in surprise. He was watching her with a deadpan though attentive gaze. She hadn't expected him to speak at all the rest of the morning; she had been fairly certain that she'd rubbed him the wrong way. But it seemed she had been wrong, hopeful ease settling into her mind as she replied. "Oh, that's right…! I'm a veterinary technician. I work at an animal hospital."

Ah. The pieces fell logically into place. Scrubs for a medical environment; being the trusted neighbor for strays; taking kittens to work; coworkers who could care for them.

"Lots of cats in your day."

"Cats, dogs, exotics, too." She looked at him with hesitant, though hopeful curiosity. "So… what kind of teacher are you?"

"High school."

"Mmmm, what subject?"

"Homeroom." _Oh… just homeroom?_ She pictured the black garb he was wearing inside his sleeping bag, trying to guess. She couldn't imagine any school that would let teachers dress like that.

"… What sort of school is it?"

"… Specialty."

 _'Specialty'?_ She chewed on that for a few moments then decided his intentional vagueness meant he'd rather keep the details confidential. Respecting this, her curiosity shifted.

"How are your students doing?"

He thought about that for a while, mulling over how much effort that response was worth. Their performance at the sports festival just that spring had been rather...

"Lackluster."

"Huh?" She looked startled by his brutally deadpan delivery. She waited with a questioning look for some kind of elaboration, but he offered none, just staring bleakly out across the train tracks.

"... They can't be doing _that_ bad... can they?" She finished on a quiet, uncertain note. Not like she knew them personally, not like he did. She didn't want to insult him again.

His face dipped and his eyes narrowed a little, sending an unpleasant glance at nothing in particular across the tracks with his bottom lip pushing out. "Going to expel them soon if they don't get it together."

She shrunk down a little. It seemed she had misstepped again. How to remedy that? She made him look grumpy, and that made her feel guilty... again.

She looked forward with her lips scrunching to one side in thought. His students weren't doing well. Maybe that's why he looked so listless? He was trying so hard but his students weren't improving? An idea sparked in her eyes and she looked down at the cat carrier. He liked cats.

Aizawa heard a zipper and glance her way. Upon seeing that her arm was in the cat carrier he looked over with more keen interest. She withdrew a kitten who complained most adamantly—the one with the mustache—and cocooned it in her gloved hands, lifting it a bit and looking at Aizawa pointedly with a smile.

"This little guy is the runt; he weighed well-below average and was cold when I found them. He wouldn't eat from the dropper and started to lose weight, so I had to intubate him every time they fed. Sometimes it's quite a challenge not to lose the runt." She looked at the kitten fondly and stroked his little nose. "Those first few nights were tough, but yesterday it's like it just clicked for him, and suddenly he turned into the loudmouth who couldn't get enough to eat. Now, he's got a fighting chance."

She looked up from the kitten and back at Aizawa with a warm smile. "Sometimes it takes them a while to get things, kittens or people. But we just have to keep pushing them and stay patient, and they'll usually get it. I'm sure your students can do it, too."

Aizawa's eyes widened as he realized what she was trying to do. She thought he was depressed and overworked over his students. She was trying to cheer _him_ up. That was hilarious. No one ever tried to do that. He was well aware that his appearance was quite off-putting to attempts of affection or uplifting overtures, and quite frankly he was rather appreciative of the lack of sickening All Might-brand optimism in his life.

But as he stared at her and the tiny kitten squirming in her hands, the strange fact of the matter was that… well, her offer had actually worked. Just a little. Enough to make his logically cold heart warm by a single degree. Because she had actually bothered to try, and people didn't do that for him often... hardly at all. And her example was logically rooted with hard work and the possibility of not making it every time. Holding a kitten didn't hurt her cause, either. Thus, logically, he found himself appreciating her in that moment.

But his outward silence and unreadable expression left a different impression on her. Her smile died out into an awkward near-grimace and her shoulders shrank down, pulling the mewing kitten closer. _That didn't work either..._ She was really sticking her foot in her mouth this morning. She looked down at the kitten and petted him distractedly. "Um... But I'm sure I didn't have to tell you that."

He blinked, pulling out of his thoughts. "Hm?"

"I'm sure you've got things covered, with your students. You know them best," she mumbled, keeping her attention focused on stroking the kitten and appearing rather embarrassed again.

"Oh… Yeah." He dropped his eyes down in thought for a moment then looked over at her in a slightly more appreciative light. "... Thanks, though."

"Hm?" She looked up quickly, meeting his eyes. He said nothing, but he held her eyes and offered the faintest hint of a smile; a micro-expression of appreciation. Her face relaxed in relief, a smile tentatively coming to her lips. "Oh... You're welcome."

Their looks were held in place for a few moments before they turned away mutually. Silence overtook them again, though this time it was a comfortable one. It persisted until the sound of the train reached their ears. They rose, Aizawa taking up his sleeping bag and her the cat carrier after tucking the little runt back in, having held him the whole time. They boarded without a word, sat down without a word, and the whole way to Aizawa's stop—not a word. Though certainly not to snub each other; there simply was no need to speak. That was for the best, really. It annoyed Aizawa when people just wouldn't shut up and leave him alone.

As he got up to leave, her eyes lifted and followed him. She bit her lip, deliberation in her eyes as he passed her by and she looked at his back. There wasn't a need to speak. There was no obligation to. He clearly liked silence, anyway… but she wanted to.

"Um, before you go…" Aizawa stopped at the doorframe, recognizing her voice. He looked back over his shoulder at her. She looked a bit hesitant, a tentative smile on her face. "We've seen each other around for a while now, and I was wondering… I'm Hayate Aika."

He caught her drift. "Oh. I suppose we have… Aizawa. Shouta."

Her smile widened. "Pleased to meet you officially."

"Yeah." He turned back to the door.

"Have a nice day, Aizawa-san."

He lifted his hand for a lazy wave in farewell. "Same to you. Hayate-san."

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 **Not the smoothest of conversations. No love-at-first-sight going on here. Just one tiny, kitten-sized step at a time.**


	3. A New Routine

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As Aizawa boarded the Saturday train, he was struck with a faint sensation; one that his morning seemed a little duller without cats. Hayate Aika as ' _woman wearing gray_ ' had recently been dubbed didn't work on Saturdays he had observed. Despite being aware of this fact, seeing kittens for five days in a row had started to create a subconscious expectation of seeing them. Well, whatever, he brushed the thought off. They'd be back on Monday.

Except that they weren't.

"Good morning."

It wasn't a 'meow' that got his eyes open today. He watched Hayate sit down on the other end of his bench with no cat carrier in sight. She was smiling at him.

"... Morning," he returned without much effort, looking her over. _Oh, right_ , the thought came to him. She had given the kittens to a coworker this weekend, so logically, it wouldn't be until today that she got them back. He'd see them on Tuesday. Aizawa closed his eyes. Hayate didn't.

"How was your weekend?" Her eyes stayed on him.

The one day he had off? "Fine." His eyes stayed closed.

"That's good…" Her head turned forward and lifted, her eyes looking brighter today as she looked at the early morning sky. "It felt nice getting to catch up on some sleep. How about you? Did you get to rest up?"

He snorted. "Never." Nope. He never caught up on sleep. _Ever_.

She glanced his way with a softened, sympathetic look. "… Oh. I see." She looked straight again. "Well then, I'll let you rest."

Aizawa stirred at that, a tad bit surprised. He cracked his left eye open to peek at her. She seemed to be making due on her word, looking straight ahead in silence as she waited for the train. No small chat. Just like that, she was going to respect his sleep needs and leave him be. He hadn't even told her to, she just minded his personal space on her own.

Well... that was quite sensitive of her. Polite. Considerate. A lot of people in his life could learn to take a hint.

Dang he got lucky she wasn't a needlessly chatty morning commuter.

Aizawa closed his eye again and hunkered down a little in his sleeping bag. Sweet silence persisted all the way until the train came. And then all the way to the U.A. stop. He got up to leave and was nearly out the train door when it was finally broken for a brief moment.

"Have a good day, Aizawa-san."

He glanced back at her polite smile then back at the door, lifting a lazy hand in farewell.

"You too. Hayate-san."

And thanks. Thanks for not being annoying.

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Tuesday morning and back to kittens.

"Good morning." Hayate seemed to be in good spirits if her tone was any indication, Aizawa thought.

"Meow." He opened his eyes.

He looked over and watched as she sat down on the bench and placed the cat carrier between them, smiling at him cordially. Her fingers immediately went to undo the zipper at the top, catching his interest. She dipped her hands into the carrier as she started speaking.

"They opened their eyes over the weekend! Of course they'd do it when I wasn't looking." She carefully took out the three kittens in a balanced spread across her hands, holding them up for him to see. Which of course he did, because cats. Three two-week-old kittens with blue eyes stared back at him with wide-eyed looks and turned their heads feebly to survey the station with feline wonderment, meowing faintly all the while.

Okay, that was cute. That could not be logically denied.

She looked over the tops of their heads with an expectant grin. He was smiling as he looked at them; a reflexive sort with the corners of his mouth pulled back comfortably with no teeth showing. His eyes looked just a little more alive then, and a feeling of success welled up inside her chest.

"Meow!" The mustached kitten—noticeably smaller than the other two in this side-by-side comparison, Aizawa observed—voiced a loud complaint and began to crawl over his sibling's back. She looked down quickly and shifted her hands.

"Oops!" She shuffled him into her right hand more securely. "Heh, this one's already been turning into quite the little adventurer so I've been told." Her left hand dipped back into the carrier to deposit the other two kittens, focusing her attention on the squealing runt as she lifted him closer to her nose and delicately stroked his head with her left index finger.

"He gained twenty-five grams this weekend! I'm so happy he's back on track. _I_ think he's going to make it." She finished on a confident note and kept petting the little kitten drawn close to her face, smiling all the while.

Aizawa observed the pair wordlessly, his eyes shifting between the two of them in evaluation. An objectively pretty woman smiling and holding a tiny, undeniably cute mewing kitten was an easy sight for tired dry eyes. She kept petting the kitten but looked up at him then, their eyes and smiles meeting. For a fraction of a second, Aizawa's mind went still. Then he blinked and turned his eyes away in unison. His gaze settled on the concrete floor and his head straightened, smile fading. Huh. That felt weird. Best not to think about it.

Hayate kept watching him though, a flicker of uncertainty passing over her features at his quick withdrawal and silence. After a few seconds, she returned her attention to the kitten, giving him a big smile and a light finger tap of finality on his head before lowering him back to the carrier.

"Well, anyway… just thought I'd share." She zipped the carrier shut and straightened in her seat in silence, apparently going back to leaving Aizawa be like she had done the day before.

His eyes flicked her way again in a sidelong glance.

"… Why?"

"Hm?" She looked over at him. "Why… share?" She took his expectant silence as a 'yes'. Her eyes shifted to the side, thinking. "Well… you like the kittens... and, they seem to make you a little happier."

"… Why would you bother with that?" _I don't even know you._

She looked back at him quickly, brow knitted slightly. "Bother? It's not like that…" The corners of her mouth turned up. "Passing along a little kindness like that is just a nice thing to do… I feel happy to do it. That's all."

Ah. So she was that kind of person. Fair enough. He looked forward and closed his eyes. A Pro Hero couldn't really go judging random acts of kindness when that was practically their job description. Although he had to admit, being the target of such kindness was a bit of a shakeup of the status quo. When was the last time a stranger had done something nice for him? He thought a while, but couldn't come up with anything noteworthy in recent history. Oh. Except for that one time someone left a thousand yen and a sandwich next to his bundled up frame while he slept, mistaking him for being homeless. Yeah. That put him in a _fantastic_ mood. At least the sandwich had been pretty good.

"Hmm…" He gave a little hum in the back of his throat, tilting his head back a little and opening his eyes. "… I guess a morning can't go bad when it starts with cats." He turned his head slightly and glanced at her, the left corner of his mouth pulling up in a slight but genuine wry grin. "Thanks."

Her smile lit back up. "You're welcome."

Their eyes held for a moment, then in a way that was becoming familiar to them they looked away in mutual comfortable silence and didn't speak again. When they boarded and it came time for Aizawa to exit the train at his stop, Hayate looked at his retreating back as he stood and walked towards the door. She opened her mouth to speak at the same moment he raised his hand in lazy farewell.

"Have a good one, Hayate-san."

She blinked, a little surprised. It was he who had spoken first. She recovered quickly though, a small smile lifting her lips.

"You too, Aizawa-san."

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It occurred to Aizawa on Wednesday morning that a recurring disruption to his normally predictable and simple mornings was starting to take on a pattern as Hayate came and sat down on his bench once again, setting the cat carrier between them.

"Good morning," she offered cordially.

"… Morning." He wasn't sure how he felt about that as he eyed her. His eyes shifted to the cat carrier.

On the one hand, she had kittens. He definitely liked that. On the other hand, another person was interacting with him. Regularly. He was undecided on that point.

So far, she seemed alright. Tolerable at the very least, fairly likable at best. As if to prove this, she was deciding to remain silent this morning, maybe in respect for his morning nap like she previously had done. Or perhaps she just didn't have anything to say. Either way, she was not annoying him. She seemed a polite, respectful sort of person and one who was kind from what their brief morning interactions had gleaned. In sum total, he had no rationally objective reason to dislike her presence specifically, and to the contrary, she provided sufficient evidence for likeability. So he liked her. Slightly. _Logically_.

But as for her, what did she get out of this, he wondered. The first time she sat beside him was merely out of being tired he'd grant her, but the times after that? And saying hello? He was certainly no socialite, so if she was expecting some quality morning company she was sorely mistaken. But she wasn't exactly talkative herself, and their exchanges brief before silence descended upon them for the rest of the morning.

And that exact same pattern held true yet again with Wednesday concluded upon another lazy hand-wave and a farewell with not a word being spoken after their greeting. The day turned to Thursday and then Friday drew the curtains on the second week since the kitten-carrying woman came into his mornings, both days passing fairly uneventfully aside from a routine 'good morning' and few happy comments about the kittens' progress. By the end of the following third week, he could only conclude that Hayate with her greetings, kittens, brief exchanges, and companionable silences was becoming a permanent amendment to his simple, streamlined morning routine.

"Good morning!" Always polite and good-natured, her greeting prompted him to open his eyes for the kittens she always placed between herself and him.

Always cute and getting livelier, the kittens were visibly growing quickly even in just a week. In particular, the mustached one was starting to grow on him; looking him in the face when he lowered his head to look in, squealing and flopping over his siblings. Little fella just couldn't wait to get moving.

"Would you like to pet them?" She had asked him on Tuesday of the third week; the kittens had once again gone to a coworker's home over the weekend, leaving the two of them to sit in comfortable silence on Monday.

Well, now. "How can I refuse an offer like that?"

She smiled and undid the zipper on the side of the carrier facing him, and he likewise undid his sleeping bag's zipper and pulled it open to reach his hand into the carrier and give the mustached runt a chin rub. At the human touch, the noisy little kitten quieted down and pressed into his hand, seeking his warmth. His hand didn't leave the carrier until the train came. Hayate's offer proved every bit worth it, and that Tuesday a fine morning indeed.

Every morning since then, she had given him a smile and partially undid the zipper in silent invitation. He was starting to keep a hand at the ready to undo his sleeping bag in anticipation at every morning greeting. He would have tolerated nearly any conversation for that, of which she offered some.

On Wednesday he learned that she was new to the area; relatively speaking.

"How long have you lived around here, Aizawa-san?"

"About six years."

"You must like the area then?"

"Rent's cheap. It's usually uneventful these days."

"I see, I moved out here last winter for similar reasons. It seems like a good area, especially with the restoration efforts over the last couple years, although I haven't gotten the chance to explore it much. I used to live in the city closer to where I work, but... I wanted to live somewhere with less people." She seemed uncomfortable to elaborate on why, so he didn't ask.

"Yeah. People can be troublesome." She seemed put at ease with that response, so they left it at that.

On Friday he learned that she liked sushi; there was this pleasant restaurant she had found, comfortable and personable.

"Yeah, they're good. Cozy. Fair prices."

"Oh, you like them too? You've lived here longer than I have. Do you have any favorite places to eat around here, Aizawa-san?"

"A few," he answered her without elaboration.

"How about a good coffee?"

"Meh, there aren't any cafés around here."

"Then where would you recommend for breakfast on a weekend?"

"Mmmm… it's not pretty but it's good and cheap. Three blocks south from here, take a left…" Somehow she ended up drawing the rest of them out of him, too, one tactfully prodding question after the next. And all his favorite orders, too. He chalked it up to petting the kittens that made him so tolerant.

It was just casual things, nothing more than small talk ultimately. But he found it didn't bother him. She had a manner of conversing that had a point and didn't overstay its welcome, picking one topic of conversation for the day and falling silent once it had reached its natural conclusion. They also only spoke for those scant few minutes sitting on the bench, and upon boarding, she would remain quiet and typically take out her mobile phone for the rest of the way to presumably read a digital book judging from the way her eyes would consistently flick side to side across the screen. He appreciated that brevity. It was a fair exchange for some time with kittens in the morning.

But yet, that posed the question once again. He got kittens, and she got small talk. With him. Of all the untalkative people. What did she get out of it? A logical answer came to him on Saturday.

As he sat down and tucked into his sleeping bag, his hand shifted up to his chest without thinking in preparation for unzipping the fabric to pet the kittens; kittens which would not be coming today. When he realized it, he was still for a moment then slowly lowered his hand to his stomach, arms crossing and body hunching. Of course they didn't come on Saturday. He knew that, jeez. Alone on his bench, the thought made him feel a faint flicker of grumpiness. And thus, he was struck by the answer.

The most logical conclusion was something very simple: She simply enjoyed sharing her mornings with another person. Whether or not they spoke a word was irrelevant. She just didn't want to sit alone. And as it was now, he was actually starting to like sitting with someone, too.

Huh. That was unusual for him.

Well, whatever. She wasn't unpleasant and she came with kittens. He'd milk that for as long as it lasted, which probably wouldn't be for long as the kittens would grow up fast and be on their way. As for how he'd feel about it when they were gone and it was just her alone sitting on his bench… well, he'd address that at the proper time and not let it sully his mornings in the present moment. As Aizawa got up for his stop and moved to leave the train, he mentally lifted his hand in farewell.

Whatever you're up to, Hayate, have a good day. And keep bringing those kittens.

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	4. Friends with Coffee: Part 1

**This was getting long, so it was divided into two parts. I go into these chapters with a framework and bulleted "must do's" for chapter completion, and just let it develop along organically from there, so as long as the chapter hits all the marks it might get a lot longer than initially predicted.**

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 _Part 1 of 2: Friends with Coffee_

Every morning, Monday through Friday, twenty-seven-year-old Hayate Aika's life followed a slightly varied but consistent routine. At 4:40 am, her phone's morning alarm would go off; "Dawn Chorus", a gentle tune defined by delicate piano keys and the morning trills of birdsong. This quaint little tune would act in much the same way as a dinner bell to the cat that would invariably be sleeping somewhere on or directly next to her body, prompting it to stir and meow a good morning. The tune would end as she pet Tenten, a short-haired calico with predominately black and orange marbled fur and vivid green eyes, who pranced back and forth across her stomach purring.

Over the course of the next few minutes, Hayate would force her eyelids open more and more with the help of the self-indulgent and demanding feline in a gradual and most pleasant rise to full wakefulness as she smiled and rubbed Tenten's chin with the two of them nose-to-nose, purrs vibrating into her chest. After five minutes of dedicated morning cuddles, the alarm would sound again, this time "Serene Morning"; back again with birdsong and piano but in lower tones and accompanied by a babbling brook, marking the end of their morning session and time for Hayate to rise reluctantly pushing the cuddly feline away.

Tenten did not mourn this significantly though, as the cat trotted quickly ahead of her human servant to the kitchen with urgent meows. Without any sense of patience, she would hover at Hayate's feet while she got the canned cat food out and spooned it into a bowl, then set it down beside the dry food on the floor which was nibbled on throughout the day. The wet food was the main course and happily devoured on the spot.

Furry tripping hazard now distracted, Hayate would move on to making her own breakfast. This would usually consist of eggs in some form which was picked according to her whim each morning. Perhaps it was on rice with some arrangement of toppings like green onions, fish, seasonings, or nattō; an omelet with greens and a bit of meat; or just eggs for eggs' sake either over-easy or scrambled. Just because it was the same humble egg every morning didn't mean that it had to be _boring_. As for what accompanied this modest main dish, that varied a bit too but was consistent; toast with some sort of spread, rice, a piece of fruit, or yogurt typically prevailed. Whatever appealed to her that morning and always quick and simple to make. Alongside the making of her breakfast, Hayate would efficiently pack up a bento box for lunch which was, like the breakfast, varied but consistent.

She took her time eating, enjoying a video or two on her laptop. By this point, Tenten would finish eating and join her at the short chabudai table, sitting at Hayate's left side on the cushion there. The cat got pets with the left hand, food lifted to Hayate's mouth with the right. Once her meal was finished, she would get up and do the dishes quickly then move on to getting dressed.

Compared to her breakfast, getting dressed was unvarying, brisk, and routine. Charcoal grey scrubs and scrubs jacket, scarf securely covering the skin of her neck with the ends tucked away, and hair swept back in a neat bun tucked under a knit hat. She paid nothing more than a few quick checks in the mirror to her appearance as she brushed her teeth then finished and turned away. A pair of convenient clips on the bento attached it to the straps of her purse, and she slipped on the gloves resting on top of the purse and the shoes by the entry before heading out the door at 5:25 am at the latest to walk to the train. A brisk walk later, she arrived at the station to wait.

Had this been in months prior, Hayate would have stood alone at the train platform passing away the minutes in silence. But alas, something had changed rather recently. For as we all know, twenty-three days ago at the ripe age of maybe three days, three little balls of fluff had come into her care. And not long after, Hayate had acquired a new train companion.

"Good morning." She sat down on one end of the bench with a smile aimed at the man sitting at the other.

His body, hunched over a little and bundled up inside his yellow sleeping bag, raised up slightly along with his eyes cracking open to pay her a glance.

"Morning."

There was a slight inflection in his voice, like a bit of an effort to return her genuine tone; she noticed it, for it differed from the dreary monotone of previous weeks. Aizawa Shouta. He was a subtle sort of individual, reserved and unexpressive by default, so Hayate took it as a sign that he was in a good mood. She kept her eyes and smile on him.

"Did you do anything interesting this weekend?"

Hog-tied two young-dumb villains robbing a convenience store. "Nah. You?"

"Took advantage of the good weather and went on a hike. Just a day trip, but it was nice."

"That at Sengen?"

"Yep, Sengen Park."

"Logical. It's the closest."

"Yeah, it's an easy trip. Great view of the mountain, quiet, wildflowers right now, lots of shady trees… I bet it would it would be pretty peaceful to take a nap out there. Just you, your sleeping bag, and the sounds of nature. Might be a good way to unwind at the end of the week, yeah?"

"Stairs."

"What?"

"Lots of stairs there. And hills."

She raised an eyebrow. "You have a bad knee or something? Er, not that your health's my business."

"My knees are fine. Just plain illogical to climb a hill when you can sleep just as well at the bottom of it."

She gave a little laugh of disbelief. "Really? You're too young to be talking like an old man. Those kids must have you beat."

A faint, barely audible snort was all that met her in reply, and his eyes flicked forward away from her. It was subtle, the change in his eyes, a little dropping of his eyelids. But she'd taken notice of his faint mannerisms enough to pick up on it. There was a bit of truth to what she had said no matter how lightheartedly. Her voice softened up and she glanced forward as well.

"… Well, I think the climb is worth it."

"For the view? That's pretty irrelevant when you're sleeping with your eyes closed."

"They're open on the way up, though."

He said nothing in reply nor made any sign of acknowledgment with his eyes still looking straight ahead. Journey rather than destination. Mindset duly noted.

At his silence she cast a sidelong glance at him, her mind's gears still turning. He had this habit, she had noticed, of going silent around any topic that even hinted at the notion of optimism. She suspected that rather than having no thoughts on the matter, he simply chose to keep his thoughts to himself to avoid what would be an exasperating discussion in his view. Realist or pessimist, she hadn't quite settled on what to call him yet. Or maybe just jaded. He certainly looked the part of the overworked teacher.

But teachers were important, this she firmly believed. And seeing one in such a weary state tugged at her. Sure, she couldn't realistically do anything to affect his time in the classroom, but sometimes just a small act could be the spark to a good mood that carried on all day. If she could just draw out that spark…

"Why did you become a teacher, Aizawa-san?" Where did that passion go?

"Wasn't my idea. I got suckered into it." Oh. So that passion… was that a no?

"Suckered?" Her brow knitted, face turning to him. "How?"

He closed his eyes, chin dipping. "Meh… it's nothing interesting... another teacher threw my name in for recommendations at the school they got hired at. They called me up after that."

Her knitted brow didn't budge. "… So you didn't want your job?"

"Not particularly." She waited for an elaboration, but he just kept feigning sleep without acknowledging her.

"... But you didn't have to accept."

"Mm-hm."

"… But you did."

"Mm-hm."

"… Why?" Curiosity got the best of her.

"…" He stayed quiet longer than usual; long enough that she thought he might not answer at all. But then he gave a grumble, eyelids creeping up slightly.

"Hm… Becoming a teacher is the epitome of irrationality... or so I used to think. After I was approached, though, I thought about it. There are plenty of things I find ridiculous about people I meet. Instead of complaining about those things, it was more rational to accept a position to change those things by tearing them out by their roots right from the start. So in that sense, becoming a teacher had its own logic."

Her bottom lip tucked under her front teeth in thought, and her face sported a puzzled frown. 'Irrational', 'rational', 'illogical', 'logical'; he used those words a lot. But something… didn't line up there. Viewing his own profession as irrational? That didn't seem a typical mindset for a teacher to her. It sounded like he wasn't a teacher at all before this job, but in order to qualify as a teacher in Japan, specific certification and training was necessary. _Logically_ , you had to have the mindset to want to become a teacher to undergo such education before being offered to take up a position, and if you viewed such a job as irrational, well… _why_ would you undertake that training? Something he said earlier suddenly sparked in her memory. _Unless_ —!

"You teach a specialty subject."

"Huh?" The sudden change in subject threw him a little, his tone blank.

"Ah, I remember you saying sometime before—you work at a specialty school. You don't talk like you have a standard teaching degree, so you must have certification in some other specialty skill to teach. Or so it seems to me?" She left the question hanging.

His eyes were open now, fixed on no spot in-particular on the concrete in front of him. Okay, clearly the cat lady was sharper than he gave her credit for to deduce that on such limited information. Dang. "… Mm-hm." Such a pain.

It was subtle, the tense shift in his eyes, but she saw it. Her inquisitive features relaxed at once and she shifted her eyes away from him to look over the tracks. "Ah, I see you don't really want to talk about it. My bad."

His mind, gears turning to find a solution to get out of this topic, paused, and he glanced over at her unobtrusive profile.

"Before you mentioned you just taught 'homeroom', I should have taken the hint then," she continued. "I suppose the last thing you want to talk about on your way to work is more about your work, yeah?" She looked over at him with an easy smile.

He looked at her for a few moments in silence, then his eyes relaxed shifting forward again and closing. "… Yeah."

Her smile lingered on him a moment more then she looked straight. A bit of a misstep, it would seem. Challenging, figuring this man out. The sort of things she thought might open him up a bit just made him clam up. Difficult to read. But there was one topic she had found that he liked predictably.

"What's your favorite sort of cat, Aizawa-san?"

"Black. With short fur."

"Because you can't notice the fur on your clothes?"

"Yep."

"A practical choice. I've got a calico myself."

"Oh yeah?" His left eye cracked open, paying her a glance. Got him. "Mostly black? Or white, orange?"

"Black and orange mostly, the white's down her belly…"

Cats. A simple subject for a simple man. Or something like that, she supposed. And so on it went each morning with a brief chat between the two of them. There wasn't a single day she didn't start up the conversation herself, but that was alright. It was sort of interesting, getting to know him. He was an odd man— _This guy? A teacher?_ Still surprised her—and seemed to be in need of serious mood-lifting, but… well, he was very easy company. "Don't want to talk? No problem, I'll just sleep," he might as well have said. And if she did have something to say, he listened with polite detachment and gave his three cents without batting an eye before going back to nodding off. It was all very laid-back.

And as for him, it was a subtle, gradual shift she observed in the man next to her each morning. At first, he was rather unresponsive and wary, opening his eyes for kittens alone. He seemed to treat her cautiously as if he dreaded her being an annoying disturbance to his dreary morning naps. She took notice and was casual about it, not forcing him to keep talking after brief pleasantries. If he didn't want to talk about something, like work, she changed the subject no questions asked, no pressure. And she could tell that this respect was well-received.

He used to give one-word responses, but more and more now it seemed he'd give her a few sentences in reply. Instead of feigning sleep, he kept his eyes open more and more, engaging with her. And he even asked her a question or two. Never did he give any overt signs of enjoyment like a smile or excitement of any sort, but by the way he sat up and his eyes relaxed at the sight of her even without the kittens, she could tell he liked having a morning acquaintance at least a little. It was kind of nice having someone to talk to in the morning both of them seemed to agree.

And then it was 5:34 am and the train was arriving. She stood up and moved to the boarding platform while he unzipped and stepped out of his sleeping bag cocoon and tucked it under his left arm then walked over and stood behind her with a respectable distance between them. When they boarded, she sat down first consistently near the door and facing it while he predictably kept walking about halfway down to the next door before sitting on the opposite side. Just as quickly as he had stepped out of it, he slipped back into his sleeping bag and zipped it up to his chin, settling in for a good nap as the train started on its way. And a rather long way at that; his stop didn't come until 6:15 am.

But they didn't speak on the train. Hayate felt it would be too intrusive for that length of time, for whether or not they spoke the whole time, just the thought that at any point his nap might be interrupted would surely cause him some irritation. Their chat on the bench was succinct, pleasant, and had a consistent beginning and end. They were both content with that. He napped the ride away while she took out her phone and read education training, the morning news, or a good digital book. And when the train did come to a stop at 6:15 and he started walking to the door, she paused her reading and gave a brief look up with a smile.

"Have a nice day, Aizawa-san."

Always from him, a lazy hand-raise in farewell. "Same to you. Hayate-san."

And just like that, their mornings were concluded. In total, it amounted to no more than ten minutes of dedicated interaction, and about an hour total in each other's indirect company. But that was alright, of course. On the one hand, Aizawa couldn't stand a conversation that dragged on forever, and on the other, Hayate neither wanted to impose nor feel the pressure of it becoming a chore. Nice and rational. Short and sweet.

And then it was onto the other twenty-three hours of the day. At 6:30 am, Hayate tucked away her phone and got off the train. Long though the commute was, once she stepped off she didn't have very far to go, for just two blocks down on the corner in a rather ideal location sat Akasaka Veterinary Hospital.

Akasaka was a four-vet private practice with each of its veterinarians contributing to a well-rounded spread of professional interests, and this, coupled with Akasaka's prime location—right at the intersection of 'big city' and 'residential' and next to public transit—gave it a favorable business advantage in conveniently addressing the needs of any pet in the area from dogs and cats to hedgehogs and parrots.

Along the sidewalks to the front and right side of the property facing the street were nice strips of bark and hardy plants for the visiting dogs. The hospital itself along with the parking lot was fenced with tall chain link, though the sliding gate was unlocked and cracked open as Hayate approached and slipped in. Across the parking lot by the front door, a tall young man with dark hair wearing gray scrubs with a dachshund on a leash took notice of her. When she looked over and caught his eye, he smiled while the dog sniffed along the bed of smooth rocks and lavender that lined the fence opposite the gate alongside the neighboring business. She smiled back.

"Good morning, Takano-san."

"Morning!" There was only one person who got there earlier than she did in the mornings, and that was the kennel/veterinary assistant with the shift starting thirty minutes before the hospital opened; enough time to give any dog boarders a morning potty run and start feeding.

The dog glanced up at her voice and Hayate gave it a smile too before looking at the building as she approached. Akasaka was a moderate-sized structure with a streamlined Japanese-style exterior and clean, muted-red paint. Neat flowerbeds to either side of the main entrance made for an inviting exterior. The building was boot-shaped with the main entrance serving as the 'foot' with the door at the 'toe', and with the flower bed to the right of the door wrapping around the top of the 'foot' alongside a sidewalk to a bench and then continuing to a side door at the 'ankle'. The sidewalk alone extended down the length of the building to another door at the top of the 'boot' with a potty area in-between, and it was to this door that she went.

The alarm, deactivated by Takano, greeted her with a beep of acknowledgment as she came in as it did every time an exterior door opened. Straight ahead of her down a brief hallway was a windowed door that led to the boarding area, but she took a right instead. Ahead of her now was essentially the 'highway' of the hospital, which extended from one end all the way to the other with many doors along the way, but it was to the first door on her right that she went next, arriving at her destination; the breakroom.

Every morning at the hospital, Hayate began her mornings here. There was a small, round table with three stools on her right, a cat tree against the wall behind that next to a shelving unit for personal items, and a door next to that in the corner which led to a tiny, closet-sized room with room enough for just a bed. On the wall to her left was a door to a compact bathroom, and then straight ahead of her a fridge with counters, sink, microwave, and coffee appliances to its right. 'Cozy' would describe in a word. After setting aside her purse, it was, of course, the coffee she went to first.

One thing Hayate always sort of begrudged about work days was that she didn't have her first cup of coffee first thing out of bed as she did on the weekend, but for her, this was a conscientious and strategic decision. Caffeine would be wasted sitting on the train, and, more importantly, having it here at work meant that the making of the morning brew which would sustain her and her colleagues over the next couple hours was in her hands. If there was anything that could kick her morning off to a bad start it was bad coffee, and no such thing would ever come to pass on her watch.

Filtered water was pulled from the fridge and poured into the coffee maker's reservoir. It hadn't taken nearly as much debate as she thought it would be necessary to convince her boss and coworkers to pitch in a few extra yen on a quality office drip machine with her infectious coffee enthusiasm and consistent track record of great brews winning out. Out came a natural bamboo coffee filter and then next, naturally, was the star of the show—the _beans_.

The cupboard above her was opened, and a row of three air-tight canisters and their labels deliberated on for a minute before she picked the brew of the day; high-quality whole beans, medium roast, rich and nutty. The 'magic' ratio was rationed out on the little kitchen scale she pulled out of a drawer, fifty-five grams of coffee to one liter of water, and then the beans met their fate in a manual burr grinder—medium grind, just a tad on the course side—before being poured into the filter. On with the machine and on with the morning with great coffee just a few minutes away as she tidied up and stepped back, sitting on one of the stools to wait with her phone.

Was it necessary? Of course not. She could just settle for the typical crappy office coffee that prevailed in many businesses, that months-pre-grinded subpar mixture of bitter, acidity, and glorified dishwater. But when there were so many things that couldn't be controlled in the day, why let coffee, one of the few things that could be controlled, go badly? No—there would be one consistently good thing in the mornings of her and her colleagues, and that would be a proper cup of coffee. And maybe the fact that she was a self-admitted coffee snob had a thing or two to do with it, too, but really, who would deny that crappy coffee _sucked?_ She simply had high standards for her brew and stuck to them. As for everyone else in the office, best to just let the coffee snob do her thing, which was great coffee, and reap the rewards.

The coziness of the room would serve to Hayate's advantage over the next few minutes as the room filled with the scent of fresh coffee; a bit of a comforting, Zen-like atmosphere to focus-up to face the day. By the time the coffee was ready to pour, Hayate could usually expect that the opening receptionist would have arrived for the morning, presence announced by the beep of the door and lighter footsteps not matching the coming-and-going of Takano's shoes as he tended to the dogs. There were three receptionists total but always two daily with shifts rotating throughout the week. On a Monday morning like this, it would be Esumi Maho. The woman rounded the corner and her eyes met Hayate's. Hayate smiled, raising a coffee travel mug slightly in greeting.

"Good morning!"

"Morning." Her voice lacked enthusiasm, but she did force a smile. Good? Eh. It was a morning. And a Monday. And she had left a fussy toddler with his poor grandma. But if nothing else, her nose was telling her that Hayate had picked her favorite brew, that something-fancy-named bean from the country don't-care that reminded her of hazelnuts. Good pick. Her morning was just a little better for it. Esumi poured a cup of it and left the room wordlessly to go open the reception area.

Hayate lingered in the room for just a bit longer, sipping and savoring and waiting for that sweet caffeine to hit her veins just in time for her shift to start at 6:45 am, fifteen minutes before opening, as she kept an eye on the time on her phone. When the minute turned, Hayate went to the coffee machine and topped off her mug before pouring a second mug, then she exited the break room with a coffee in each hand and took a right.

Heading down the hall, she'd come to the crucial intersection of the hospital. Behind her—boarding, breakroom, and doctors' office; ahead of her, pharmacy and lab machines down the left side of the hall and three exam room doors on the right; directly to her right, a hallway ending in a windowed-door which barred the way to the main entrance and reception side of the building; and to her left, a both-ways-swinging windowed door to the medical side of the building. She headed straight to the computer at the beginning of pharmacy to clock-in and startup the programs for the morning.

Next, she'd head all the way down to the end of lab where a microscope and a small incubator machine resided. The clear door to the incubator would be opened, thermometer given a quick check, and then the tray within pulled forward and the test tubes withdrawn, one at a time, and their contents examined for signs of growth. Results were logged on the clipboard there, and then any positive uricults taken out with lids tightened to accompany her back down the hall. If there were any other overnight tests by chance she'd take care of them, too. Back at the intersection, she would take a right into medical.

Just inside the door on the right, the medical hub of the hospital had a fridge, and into this went any positive uricults. Cabinets and counters lined the wall to the left of the fridge and ended with a computer station which she likewise went to and started up. That concluded, she turned to face the room and went around the island counter with a treatment table/tub wing on each end that sat in the middle of the room. She walked along the counters and cabinets on the far wall to where the final computer sat opposite of the first station. All along the way she would have brought her coffee and the second cup with her, taking a sip from hers at each station, but here at this final computer she left the coffees where they were for with workstations all set, overnight cultures checked, and perhaps any miscellaneous tests, there was only one thing left to do.

"MeeeehOW!"

"Good morning, Bunta."

His deep meow sounded displeased as she walked into the treatment ward.

"Mee—ow."

"And you too, of course, Tobi."

Old age had made his voice somewhat frail, but his enthusiasm to get out was not as she came to the last bottom kennel on each side in the ward and knelt to open the doors for the two resident cats. They dashed out and paid her not a second glance as they made a beeline for the main room.

"Gosh, Tobi, you made a mess." Washcloth and spray in hand, she got down to business gathering up their litter boxes, last night's food bowls, water bowls, and dirty bedding, cleaning every surface then pulling from the towel-storage cages above for clean bedding. Balancing a stack of dirty materials expertly, she headed after them. The two cats, pacing anxiously at the swinging door, stared back at her and called.

"I'm coming, get your tails out of the way." She stepped around them carefully and pushed the door open, cats hurrying after her into the hall and then following as she went down to boarding. She didn't let them slip in behind her though, leaving them to stare at the door mournfully in anticipation.

Litter boxes dumped and in the dirty sink, dishes in the clean sink, bedding in the dirty hamper. A can of cat food split between two, Tobi's meds slipped into his food, three empty water bowls collected, and three litter boxes prepared, one of them large, and then back out the door. The cats bolted for the breakroom at the sight of her, and after them she went.

"For you, Bunta." The cat, already sitting on the breakroom table, immediately dug into the dish she placed before him.

"And for you, Tobi." She set the dish on the floor by the cat tree for the senior cat on a rubber mat there. Into the bathroom and down the large litterbox went tucked under the sink space. One of the three bowls was filled with water and put down beneath the other side of the sink. Two litter boxes and bowls remaining and no cats to trip on under her feet, Hayate went back through medical filling the water bowls and then into the treatment ward to set them down in their kennels. House cats taken care of, Hayate returned to her coffee by the computer and took a long savoring sip, thus concluding her opening work routine.

And this right here was as predictable as her mornings got. From this point forward, maybe all of the potential blood draws, urine/fecal collections, anal glands, nail trims, groomings, X-rays, surgeries, dentals, bandaging, follow-up calls, and beyond would go exactly as planned according to the schedule and she'd be out of here in as good of a mood and as (relatively) clean as she started. Or maybe the day would be fraught with an overly-excited puppy giving her a golden shower, a mad cat trying to claw her arm off, a parrot screeching her ears out, an emergency coming in just as a doctor was headed out for a house call, or the saddening loss of a sickly pet. Some days were just a crapshoot. Literally. But she'd always make sure that her coffee never made a day worse.

Of course, the fact that she was able to stand here drinking her coffee thoughtfully perusing the schedule after doing her standard morning rundown was only because today was Monday. Because Monday meant that the furry three amigos that she had invited into her life were concluding their weekend sleepover with 'auntie' Kasuya Yuko, a vet tech colleague and good friend. Many thanks to auntie Kasuya.

 _Bee-eep_.

Ah. And speaking of Kasuya, that was probably her coming in the door. Hayate quickly set up for the coming appointment at 7 am sharp, listening to her coming down the hall, then she grabbed the untouched coffee cup and turned around to walk back towards the main medical door. Along the wall to her right were two windowed-doors with the one closest to her going to a treatment room for exotics and the next an exotics/incubator ward for particularly delicate patients; such as young kittens. She opened the door to the exotics/incubator ward and entered just as Kasuya came in from the other door off the main hallway, and when they saw each other they both smiled.

"Hey lady!"

"Hey you!"

"Meow!" Not to be left out, the kittens joined in.

Hayate looked down at the carrier with a smile as Kasuya walked in and set it down. "How are the tiny terrors?"

"Hah," Kasuya gave a weak laugh as she opened up their incubator then looked above to the kennel used for bedding storage. "Terrors is right! They've been giving Ruki a hard time this weekend, and they're getting into everything now, especially Runt. But I suppose they're good practice."

"Heh, yeah, it's the same for Tenten." Hayate crouched down to unzip the carrier, glancing briefly at Kasuya's somewhat pronounced belly as she pulled down a few blankets. "At least kittens grow out of that stage a lot faster."

"Well at least I'll only have _one_ of them to deal with," The other woman retorted, putting the blankets down in the kennel.

Hayate reached her free hand into the carrier and scooped out the mewing runt, then stood with a raised an eyebrow aimed at Kasuya. "Are you sure about that?"

She paused and gave Hayate a look. "Oh gosh, don't even joke. We're definitely sure, just the one."

"Well, you know, when twins ran in the family…"

" _Nope!_ One's what we planned for, and one's what we're getting." Kasuya bent to scoop out the other two kittens. "And if I'm wrong, you get to babysit the crankier of the two."

"Well that's just picking favorites."

Kasuya looked pointedly at the squirmy runt in Hayate's arms while she picked up the other two. "Like that's anything new to you."

Hayate smiled sheepishly, eyes looking away coyly. "Well… maybe just a little bit. He's just so expressive."

"Yeah, he is quite the character… Should have seen him last night. He tried to steal Riku's food! Just pranced on up to the bowl like he owned the place, right under that big ol' dog's nose, and hissed at him!"

Hayate's eyes widened. "Seriously?!"

"I know, right?! An Akita could eat him in one gulp! Caught me by surprise before I could stop him, but Riku loves them to death and was fine. He gave it up, didn't even try to argue with that Runt. They're his 'puppies' already."

"Oh goodness, Riku's such a good dog…" Hayate sighed and shook her head, poking a finger at the littlest kitten's belly. "You're a real troublemaker."

"Mew!"

"Yeah, I know. Auntie's telling on you."

Kasuya chuckled as she brought the other two kittens to her chest and scratched their chins, making them melt and cuddle up against her right away. The runt meanwhile squirmed out of Hayate's grip and mountain-climbed up her shoulder to curl into her neck before he settled down and let her cup her free hand around him. Kasuya and Hayate shared a smile and an eye-roll on the runt's behalf.

"I was thinking about giving them solid food for the first time tonight actually, so it's good to hear they're interested in it."

"Well Runt seems ready to give it a go at least. Oh, and speaking of Runt, you've really got to come up with names for this lot already. I'm sure they're getting tired of being called 'hey you'."

"Well, I just want to get to know them beforehand. Can't figure out their personalities when they're so little."

"At this rate they'll be adopted by the time you come up with anything."

"Oh come on, they'll have names by then!"

"Ought to come up with a list and we'll all take a vote or something." Kasuya pulled each kitten away from herself one at a time and put them in the kennel with a final, quick head scratch and boop on the nose. "Alright, let's get this day going."

"Mm. Right." Hayate stepped forward and peeled the runt away from her neck, following her lead.

"Mew!"

He made a protest which was denied as she put him in with the other two kittens and held him in with a hand as she closed the door, then set the incubator. Newborn kittens were unable to regulate their body temperature, a biological function which would take around seven weeks to develop to a level comparable in adults. The chilled, regulated temperature of the hospital didn't help.

Kasuya tucked the carrier away and glanced over at Hayate, eying the cup she'd been holding onto. "And I see that coffee you've got there, I smelled it coming in the door."

"Oh this coffee?" Hayate held it up with a smirk. "Oh no, you don't want this coffee. This coffee was an absolute flop, like burnt acid. Total disaster."

"Well that's a laugh, there's never a bad cup with you around." Kasuya snatched up the cup from Hayate who offered no resistance and took a deep sip as she started walking towards the medical room. "Mm, yes. Simply dreadful." She took another sip. "So, who have we got first this morning?"

"Nail trims for Aki and Taiki." Hayate followed after her.

"Taiki's the dramatic one, right?"

Hayate nodded with a chuckle. "Yep. Gotta have the cheese-whiz with the nails or he'll scream like you're clipping his whole leg off."

"Pfft! They'll do that if you just clip the air! Gosh, Shiba Inus."

"Aki's an angel, though."

"Just has to show up her big baby brother, I bet…"

Starting the morning with great coffee always started the day off right, but as for keeping the day going in an environment where shit could maybe literally hit the fan, a good friend just couldn't be beat.

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"ERASER! Where you at? I gotta tell you about this guy! He was totally _OBNOXIOUS!_ "

Eraser Head suppressed a shudder as the door to the staff room suddenly burst open. That voice could only belong to one person, and it was way too early for him to be sounding so worked up. Well, his morning nap had been good while it lasted. He slowly rose up into a seated position on the floor behind his desk.

"… Right where I'm always at, Mic." Every. Morning.

"GOOD! Don't move." As if Eraser would get up and run away. That was far too much effort. Maybe just hide his head under the desk. Inch-worm under there, away from the noise.

Mic strode over to the row of desks, theirs side-by-side. He hooked his office chair with a foot spinning it around, swiftly took a seat leaning forward dramatically, and looked down at Eraser in earnest as he made daring gesticulations while balancing a coffee cup in each hand. "I am FIRED UP! Ya know!? Just one of those mornings, man! Like, there're bad mornings, and then there are TERRIBLE mornings! Guess which one this is?!"

"… A terribly loud morning," Eraser deadpanned, looking up at him with glazed eyes.

Mic looked disgruntled. "Come on, throw me a bone! Drink this." He thrust the coffee in his left hand out to Eraser.

Eraser's eyelids perked up at once. "Oh. Thanks." Well, that certainly redeemed Mic a bit. He unzipped his sleeping bag far enough to reach his arm out and take it. He glanced at it as he brought it back. "Don't recognize this cup."

"Some new café on the edge of Naruhata Ward."

"The hell you doing over there? That's almost my turf."

"I KNOW! That's what I gotta tell ya about! See, I was almost out the door when I got the buzz that there was a villain over there—"

Huh. New café. Eraser studied the logo on the cup and thought, tuning Mic out as his mind's gears started turning. Why did that strike a chord with him for some reason? He took a sip. _Suzu Café_. Did someone tell him about it or something?

"—Was almost to the train when I got the buzz that they needed backup. Can't just turn that down, RIGHT?!"

"… Mm. Right." Sip.

"So I changed plans and headed on the Naruhata line—"

Oh, Naruhata. Maybe that was it? Was he talking about Naruhata with someone recently? Hm. Sip.

"—BUT THAT'S where things go wrong! You see, it was one of those instant distress messages, so they didn't give the full details—"

Jeez, this was going to eat him until he figured it out. What was it? Café, Naruhata, … Sip. Not bad coffee. His eyes sharpened. _"How about a good coffee?" "Meh, there aren't any cafés around here."_

"—BUGS!"

" _Oh._ " That's right. Hayate asked about it. Last week. Sip.

" _NOW_ you get it! A _BUG_ Quirk! BUGS! EVERYWHERE! And they had _WINGS—!_ "

Naruhata might not be too far out of her way. Well, guess it depended on where she lived, exactly. Couldn't have been too far from where he lived since they took the same train, but which direction would make a difference on her distance to the café… Sip.

"—Of course, I screamed! But those horrible little things, you wouldn't believe it! They _liked_ the high frequency! They came RIGHT AT ME—!"

Eh, might as well tell her. Sip. Their black coffee was fine at least. No clue about their fancy coffee drinks, but eh, she could figure that out herself.

"—And that was probably the first AND LAST time I will ever happily be pepper sprayed!" Mic's voice dropped with an air of finality and he let out a long exhale, shoulders relaxing a bit as he slumped back in his chair and took a large gulp of coffee, the first Eraser had seen him take since he started talking.

"…" Eraser waited a few moments to confirm that Mic had let off the last of his steam, and upon the cup coming back down from his lips and no more words coming out of them, he was satisfied.

"…Well Mic, that was quite the story. Might want to consider adding bug spray to your arsenal. Could fit it in a jacket pocket, maybe." He tossed back the last of his drink and stood up, shrugging off his sleeping bag. "Thanks for the coffee." He tossed the empty cup in the trash then swiveled into his chair, pulling up to the computer. Almost like he could feel the caffeine already.

Mic swiveled forward too, setting the cup on the desk and settling down. "Thanks for listening! Had to get that off my chest. Whew!" His typical grin came back in full force as if nothing distressing had ever happened.

"Anytime, Mic." Anytime. Just bring the coffee.

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 **I like trivia stuff at the bottom of character bio pages, so here's some for you all:**

 **Tenten (点々: adv. " _here and there_ "; adj. " _scattered in drops_ "; n. " _dot_ "): Hayate's female calico cat with predominately black and orange marbled fur and vivid green eyes. Her belly and toes are white, although Hayate hasn't mentioned the toes yet.**

 **Akasaka (赤坂: " _red_ ", " _hill/slope_ "): I imagined that the majority of people are unfamiliar with how vet hospitals are set up or just everything that a vet tech does in general, thus gave a bit of a background tour here. I am not a vet tech myself, but have been a vet assistant so have at least experienced how my vet hospital functions, and drew inspiration from that. A good workplace atmosphere tends to vary from hospital to hospital from my understanding, but I had only positive experiences at my vet hospital.**

 **Naruhata Ward is the location where the Vigilantes spin-off manga is centered. In Vigilantes, Aizawa mentions he lives "nearby", that there are no cafés in the area, and he takes his coffee black with no sugar. This is also the line where teaching being the "epitome of irrationality" and his teaching origin story comes from. There's more information on Aizawa's private life in 40 chapters of Vigilantes than what I've gathered from 200 chapters of MHA proper lol**

 **Fun Fact: I actually don't like coffee at all, and hence, have no clue how to properly make it. Or at least I didn't until I took a deep dive down a rabbit hole in excellent coffee-making research in order to make Hayate's coffee-loving experience as believable as I thought I could muster as a non-coffee drinker myself. I think it's pretty clear where Part 2 is going lol**


	5. Friends with Coffee: Part 2

**Thank you to** **shikacloud** **for catching in the last chapter that I was calling Aizawa "Erasurehead" instead of "Eraser Head"; got his "Erasure Hero" title and "Erasure" Quirk mixed up with his hero name. I fixed it :)**

 **I tend to absolutely crawl through dialogue. I'm very critical when it comes to writing conversations, and I don't think it helps that I'm not a personal fan of coffee despite it being my subject matter in this chapter. But Hayate is not a self-insert character, so she has interests that are definitely not mine, which is a challenge I'm tackling.**

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 _Part 2 of 2: Friends with Coffee_

Ever since three tiny kittens had entered Hayate Aika's life, her mornings, Tuesday through Friday, had become a little more varied and a little less consistent.

4:40 am became 4:15 am, for one, because she suddenly had three little bodies to prepare formula for, feed, and stimulate to eliminate every morning, extra dishes to wash, and a cat carrier with heating pads, bedding, and dry formula for the day to set up. And they didn't always feed quickly and easily, especially at the beginning when they had struggled to make the transition from their now-absent mother's nipple to a syringe or tiny bottle. The runt, in particular, had needed a helping hand with intubation each feeding until he got the hang of it.

At least as their physical development had progressed over the weeks and they had settled into their own routine, 4:15 am had been pushed back to 4:30 am, and if she made the effort to hurry through breakfast she could definitely squeeze a few more minutes out.

Regardless of these changes, Tenten was happy to still get five minutes of dedicated morning cuddles first thing in the morning followed by receiving her breakfast and happily trotted ahead of her human into the kitchen to do so on this fine Tuesday morning. The sound of the kittens squealing for their own meals accompanied the cracking open of Tenten's can, tiny feline paws stretching out from the bars of their overnight kennel with a lack of patience that surpassed even the adult cat. But this morning was a little bit different, too, as right after setting down Tenten's bowl, Hayate got out another can of a different brand; wet kitten food.

She made up three servings of liquid formula with powder and warm water in a blender bottle, then added in the wet food to the mixture for some more shaking to create a slurry. By the time she poured some of the mixture into a little bottle, the kittens were adamant that they should be let out and fed, _right now._ And so she finally did, walking over to the chabudai table to set down the feeding bottle, blender bottle, and a towel before undoing the latch on the kennel door. The three of them clumsily rushed out with the smallest among them taking the lead with an exceptionally long squeal.

"Meeeeeeooow!"

Hayate ignored the runt and dipped down to pick up his quiet sister instead.

"Meeeow!" He tried to climb up her arm to take the other kitten's place, but she brushed him off again. He followed after her as she took a seat at the table and tried to crawl into her lap.

"Meeow!"

"Nuh-uh. You ate first last night."

She told him off with a gentle scolding, not budging on her stance as he climbed up onto her legs. The quiet kitten in her hands gave just a soft mew as she set her on the towel on the table with one hand on her back and the other lifting the bottle to her lips.

"Meow!" The runt didn't give up, attempting to crawl up clumsily unto the table. Hayate took her hand off the feeding kitten's back and scooped the runt back into her lap then returned it to its original place. The runt climbed up. She set him back. He climbed up again. She set him back again.

"… _Meow_." He seemed to realize he wasn't going to get his way, settling into her lap and staring at the bottle.

"… Mew." The other free kitten tapped at her knee with a tentative paw and shambled up into her lap alongside the runt.

The pair of them waited with relative patience, staring, meowing quietly, and pawing at her limbs in anticipation. After a few weeks of feeding, they knew the drill. The first sibling sucked on the nipple happily until the last drop of slurry was down into her round little tummy, then Hayate pulled the bottle away and brought the towel up to her slurry-coated lips and chin to dab them clean.

"Okay." She set her down on the floor beside her. "Your turn."

"Mew!" The runt gave another protest as his other sibling was picked before him.

The current kitten suckled, the first kitten tottled away from the table, and the third and tiniest one kept pawing impatiently at her legs and meowing. When she finished with the second and set her aside, the runt nearly clambered onto the table by himself.

She scooped him up onto the blanket then presented the bottle, which he practically pounced on, chomping onto the nipple and drinking with gusto while lifting his little front paws to her hand. She smiled and stroked his little head and back. "Heh, could lose a finger with you."

She kept an eye on the other kittens as the runt chowed down, glancing up from him occasionally. She caught a glimpse of the tail of the female who had eaten first as it slipped out of sight into the kitchen, while the other male of the trio marked a course for a toy shoelace at the base of the cat tree. They weren't the same blind, helpless little fur balls of just a few weeks ago. Their eyes were blue and open now, seemingly always on the lookout for something to clumsily get into. Their kitten fluff had started to grow, too.

Dark stripes had grown-in on the larger male to go along with the streak of white down his chest and the tips of his toes on his right back foot. The sneak-away female looked black until good lighting revealed her dusky stripes standing out in contrast to each of her white feet and a little smudge down her chest. The runt alone seemed to be truly black aside from a white tuxedo bib and dapper mustache that wrapped around each side of his muzzle. Hayate suspected the tom had been a dark tabby, the queen being a tuxedo from what her neighbor had said, though as was typical for cats it would likely forever remain a mystery.

When the runt downed the last drop, she wiped off the dribble from his chin and set him aside. Hayate had yet to see the female kitten come out of the kitchen, and she didn't trust the little rascals any farther than she could see. Her suspicion proved correct as she gathered up the feeding supplies and walked over into the kitchen to find the little female side-by-side with Tenten and licking the edges of the adult cat's bowl.

"Oh—ahaha! Looking for seconds already?" She scooped up the kitten and brought her close to her face, watching her lick her lips with a smile. "Someone's ready to be a big kitty." She gave her a kiss on the nose then set her down facing out of the kitchen, then reached over to give Tenten a little scratch down her back that made the cat's tail bob up.

And then, as was typical, her kitten mornings moved right along with Hayate attending to herself last. Breakfast, dishes, get dressed, brush teeth; the standard drill. Then just before heading out the door, it was back to the kittens, putting the carrier together with a heating pad under a blanket and a bag with dry formula and some cans for the day-time feedings. The fluff balls were all gathered up and tucked into the carrier, then on with her shoes and gloves, and out the door she went. And then, as had likewise become typical, Hayate marked her arrival to the train platform with two simple words.

"Good morning."

Aizawa's eyes opened and he glanced over as she took a seat. "Morning." He looked at her for a moment then down at the carrier as she moved it between them as usual while unzipping the door invitingly. His sleeping bag zipper came down to his waist and his arm snaked out and into the carrier as per usual.

"Mew!" The kittens got down to their business as usual too, moving forward to meet the familiar hand that scratched their tiny chins every morning at the station.

Hayate watched with a faint smile as she usually did, noting the way he gradually perked up a bit the longer he pet them.

"I think they miss you over the weekend."

His lip twitched in a faint, wry grin. "Hm, well... it's a pretty mutual feeling."

Her smile spread a little in satisfaction of that. She watched them silently for a while before her eyes drifted forward to wander across the horizontal band of sky above the tracks and between the overhanging roofs that sheltered the platforms. She didn't have anything specific coming to her mind to talk about today and was content to leave it as one of those comfortably quiet mornings. The man on the other side of the carrier never started a conversation, and thus she expected no different from usual as her mind drifted off.

Aizawa's eyes stayed focused on the kittens as they always did, though in his periphery he took notice of the slim pouch built into the side of the carrier which looked fuller than usual. He glanced at it and shifted his head a little to look in out of detached interest, catching sight of part of a label for canned cat food.

"They're eating solid food already?"

Hayate blinked, her mind snapping out of her wandering thoughts and going blank as she registered his words. Did he just... _start a conservation?_

"Ah! Well... they're getting there. I started weening them last night. They're still eating out of a bottle, though. I make a slurry for them with wet food and formula to drink; kind of like a gross milkshake."

"... Hm," was all he said in reply, eyes returning to the kittens.

She kept her eye on him for an expectant pause, but he remained silent. Her eyes drifted forward again. He started the conversation, but it didn't seem like he had any ambition to keep it going. Well, that was alright. It was surprising enough that he said anything she thought as her attention started to shift away—

"There's a new café in Naruhata."

—She looked back at him quickly.

"You were asking about that sort of thing a while back," he continued, though he still didn't spare a glance up from the kittens.

She just looked at him for a second. He... started the conversation _again_? And he remembered her asking? There was something rather pleasant feeling about that.

She responded interestedly. "Oh, really? Where at?"

"Dunno." He looked bored.

Her brow scrunched. "Eh?"

"Didn't go there. Someone else got me a coffee."

"Oh, I see. Do you know what the place was called?"

"Suzu Café."

"Suzu..." She took out her phone and checked the location, free hand touched lightly to her chin. "Hmm... that's not _too_ far out of my way."

Her eyes slid his way with a glint. "Was it good coffee?"

"It was good black. Can't speak for it any other way."

"Hm, that's alright. I wouldn't have it any other way."

He glanced up from the kittens. "Huh, that so?" There was a surprised inflection to his voice that made her look at him questioningly.

"That surprises you?"

He gave a half-hearted shrug and looked back at the kittens. "Mm, a bit I suppose. You seem like you would."

She raised an eyebrow, studying him. Seemed like she would… what? Put some standard cream or sugar in her coffee? Get an espresso; a mocha; a cappuccino? A piccolo latte? What sort of perception did he have of her, exactly? She pressed him inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

His eyes flicked to their corners away from her and the kittens. "Jeez, I don't know…" he grumbled, looking a little exasperated at having to put it into words. Clearly, he hadn't thought much of the comment.

She watched him expectantly with brow still lifted slightly, not budging. His eyes lingered in the opposite direction for what he presumed would be a sufficient amount of time for her to give up the conversation like usual. His eyes flicked her way to check but found her gaze holding steady. Drat. That usually worked. His eyes slid back to their corners, mouth pursing laterally in reluctant consideration.

"…You seem like your coffee would be…sw _eet?_ " he offered awkwardly.

Her eyes turned surprised. "Oh." She let out a quick chuckle with a hand curling near her smile. So that's how he perceived her? The way he said it, it didn't seem like he was trying to compliment her; just answering honestly, but perhaps for that reason, she felt complimented anyway.

He looked rather disgruntled at her reaction, and his eyes dropped back to the kittens and stayed there, lips pursed. What? It was just an honest observation.

She looked over and studied his expression and posture which could be described as uncomfortable, and decided not to press him further. Her gaze shifted forward across the tracks, smile relaxing. "… Nah, I don't drink anything fancy. Good coffee can stand on its own. I'd only put something extra in it to cover up bad coffee. So for that café's sake, I'd better not have to."

He didn't offer anything in reply to that and just kept petting the kittens. They were starting to get more lively. They wanted to play with his fingers instead of just getting attention, batting tentatively at his digits. He teased them, and they swatted clumsily, catching his skin. Ouch. Tiny paws, but their claws were ready for action. Oi! Those were teeth. He zeroed in on the runt chomping on his finger, ruffling the fur on the cheeks gruffly then pulling back the lips with his finger and thumb. Little incisors and fangs coming in nicely. Interesting.

But perhaps he should have paid attention to the person on the other end of the bench, because if he had bothered to glance up he might have noticed the eagerness building in her eyes as she glanced his way several times in deliberation before finally taking the plunge into a favored subject; a subject that she had not even brought up herself, much to her _brewing_ delight.

"What kind of coffee do you like to drink, Aizawa-san?"

"Hm…?" His attention was pulled away from the kittens only briefly. "Hm. Black. Just black."

"Sure, but what kind? Light roast, dark roast? Medium?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, depending on your taste preference, _of course_ it matters. Although, they all can be good."

"I don't care."

"Don't care…? Well, what do you normally drink?"

"Whatever's in the staff room."

"Is that _good_ office coffee, or…?"

"Eh, it's fine. Caffeine is caffeine."

"Hm... what do you buy on your own time?"

He gave a little huff at the effort of remembering. "Jeez, I don't know... The off-brand, I think. Blue label. At the grocery store by the post office, bottom shelf—ya know?"

Oh yes, she did know. Just imagining the label made her nose scrunch up. "Ugh, you _like_ that?" Like a burnt tire melted into a cup.

"Eh, it's tolerable."

" _Why_ would you, though?"

"It's always on sale."

She looked incredulous. Instant coffee, low-end Robusta, months pre-grinded, over-roasted. "Because it's so _cheap_."

Yeah. "It's on sale." That's kind of the point.

"Okaaay, but you don't sound crazy about it. I mean, if you want cost-effective, there are definitely other reasonably-priced brands that have a better quality taste."

"Meh. It's good enough. Sure, a great cup is nice, but in the end, it's just caffeine. Get it and move on."

She sighed, her coffee-loving heart pained just a little. "Well when the coffee's that bad, there's no point in savoring it. But why settle for that? That's one of the few things you can control in a day, and you let that chance go to waste?"

"I've got more important things to care about."

"Hm, sure, a good cup of coffee isn't important in the grand scheme of things, but it's nice to enjoy the small things in life." She aimed a very pointed look at his arm in the cat carrier and gestured with her hand. "Certainly you can see the value in that."

His petting hand paused. He'd been doing a pretty good job of half-listening to her while petting and teasing the kittens right up until she called him out. His eyes flicked to her gestured hand, then to her eyes, and then back to the kittens as he resumed petting fluffy belly fur with a huff.

"You're really driving your point." It was atypical of her to be so relentless in driving a topic in the face of his projected indifference. He wasn't annoyed yet due to her long-standing likeability, but he was beginning on his way.

Hayate hesitated at the slight shift in his tone—a bit sharper—and her hand curled back to herself, enthusiasm for the topic at hand deflating a bit as she looked away from him. In her eagerness to converse, it seemed she had miss-stepped with him again. "… Sorry… I like talking about coffee."

"…" Her voice sounded smaller. Glum. His eyes flicked up at her, a bit squinted. He stared at her for a second, the gears of his mind clicking into place. "Oh, I get it. You're a coffee snob, huh?"

An embarrassed wince confirmed it. Okay, it was one thing to be a self-admitted coffee snob, but having other people flat-out call you on it just made it feel… _pretentious_. Her arms crossed and she looked away with haste. "Well, everybody's a stickler about _something_. I just can't stand bad coffee. Out of all the things to choose to be picky about, I'd say that's a pretty small and reasonable thing."

He smirked, observing how the uncomfortable tables had been turned with mild amusement. "Heh, I think a snob would justify themselves by saying something like that."

She shot him a look, a little disgruntled. "Well, at least I've got standards for my coffee. I don't know how you stomach that stuff."

"It's like I already said. It's good enough to do its job. That's all."

And his deadpan tone of disinterest was the final nail in that conversation. Hayate gave it up with a long exhale through her nostrils. Agree to disagree, then. Her eagerness for a coffee-focused conversation rolled off her drooping shoulders and onto the floor down a drain somewhere. Well, it's not like everybody liked to talk about coffee. That was perfectly fine and reasonable. A bit of a personal disappointment, sure, especially coming from her 'morning commute buddy', but she'd live. Maybe someone at that Suzu place would want to chat about brews.

Aizawa observed this transformation impassively. A glum look to match her voice from before and silence. Slumped shoulders of a let-down. Clearly a topic she enjoyed, and he shut it down. Oh no, that wasn't him feeling guilty. Those were just the observable facts. Now what to do with them?

Nothing would be easiest. Wasn't like he was obligated to converse with her or anything. That would be rational. But it wasn't quite right. Because he got kittens and she got a conversation. With him. That was the unspoken deal. She'd been politely respecting his conversational boundaries for weeks now and just being rather amicable in general. And the first time she got on a favorite topic, he killed it with indifference. It broke the deal.

He gave a reluctant hum and looked to the side, mustering up the effort to speak. "… What sort of coffee do you drink?"

"Hm?" She looked over at him questioningly, but his gazed stayed to the side. Disinterested looking, really. Like he'd been dragged to an event not of his choosing. "…Why are you asking? You just said you don't care about coffee."

"I can pretend to for one morning."

Her brow furrowed. "What…?"

His gaze slid her way lazily, bland eyes meeting hers. "Turning down one morning of your favored topic would be sort of a crummy exchange after weeks of kittens, wouldn't it?"

"… So you've got a sense of fair trade, huh?" She looked at him critically. "Isn't that just dishonest interest, though?"

He gave a twitch of his shoulders; not quite enough effort invested to call it a shrug. "Maybe so. Are you going to pass up the chance to talk about what you want, though?"

Hayate stared at him, a bit disbelieving and incredulous. _What kind of an offer is that?_ And so callously phrased. _But I guess he's being polite in his own way…? Hm…_

Well, she wasn't one to turn down an invitation to talk about coffee. Her features brightened up a bit, some her enthusiasm returning hesitantly but hopeful. "… Medium roast. Well, if we're being precise—my favorite is smooth with a well-rounded body, has a balanced flavor with notes of sweet and savory, maybe like a blank currant tartness—oh wait, have you tasted black currant before?"

"… Nope."

"Well, it's got sort of a sweet earthiness to it I'd say, like a wine grape, or, a bit like raspberry maybe? Like a dark raspberry. Tart and sweet, um… and getting back to the coffee, it's got that sort of note, and a little bite of acidity, like tomato. Er, okay, tomato and coffee probably doesn't sound good together, maybe not the best analogy, but you know how tomatoes are sort of sweet and acidic at the same time, yeah?"

She looked at his face for confirmation, but he just met her with silence and eyes completely glazed over. Her blooming enthusiasm cringed just a little.

"Er… Can you pretend to _look_ even a little bit interested?"

"Not really."

"… W-Well then, um… that's my favorite coffee, anyway. But I love trying new coffee, and I share them at work, too. If I get something I'm not crazy about someone else will give it a go, and if they want something, they'll throw a few yen my way and I'll look for a sale. We usually have two or three coffees in the staff room; right now it's our overall favorite medium-roast brand, a dark roast coffee that's too dark for my preferences but is a favorite for others, and then sort of a wild card which everyone seems to either love or be 'meh' about. It's pretty exotic and fruity so I get why, though I love it personally." Her expression and enthusiasm were starting to pick up.

"… Fruity." He deadpanned. His expression and enthusiasm were not.

"Uh-huh! Fruity. Not like fruit juice or anything that strong, but definite notes of it. Of course, with the kind of 'coffee' you drink, you probably have no idea what that tastes like… maybe imagine it like chocolate that's been flavored with fruit?"

Ridiculous. "If I wanted to taste fruit, I'd just buy fruit."

"Well, coffee is the seed of a fruit, so… you kind of are."

"… What?"

"Coffee is a seed. Comes out of a coffee cherry."

"… Cherry?"

Her eyes lit up. "Oh! You didn't know that, did you? Hah! You've learned something new today." Her smile beamed at him. "It's a worthwhile conversation then!"

His dead stare remained fixed on her, unchanging. "… Meh." _Not really._ That was a completely irrelevant thing to learn. She didn't seem to acknowledge his lack of enthusiasm this time, apparently accepting it as the odd norm and taking on educational tone.

"Of course, a coffee cherry's different from the cherries around here. There's less fruit than a regular cherry, and the taste is different as well. As far as the coffee-production process, the fruit part is crucial in a number of ways—"

—Aaaand, that was about where he zoned out, eyes glazed over and settled unfocused on her face in rapt _in_ attention. "Wet-process" this and "dry-process" that; "pulped natural" whatever; as far as Aizawa was concerned, all of it could be summed up as "useless trivia to forget during his next nap". He hadn't looked forward to the train as an escape to any of their conversations before, but there was a first for everything. He stood up the moment the train entered his periphery. She stopped talking mid-sentence and followed his eyes.

"—Oh! Here already?" _Time flies._

 _About time._ Aizawa shambled forward to the platform posthaste, leaving her and any mention of coffee behind. There, fair trade. He had given his dues.

 _Hm…?_ Hayate paused in picking up the carrier to watch him retreat to the platform. With his sluggish tendencies, it was probably the fastest she'd seen him move. His face had looked pretty dead during their "chat", too. _He didn't really care to talk about coffee at all…_

Her eyes drooped for a moment, then hardened back up again as she picked up the carrier.

 _But he was the one who offered to listen, so I suppose that glum look is his own fault._

She stopped behind him on the platform. Her eyes flicked across the back of his body, and they softened again.

 _But still…_

An idea sparked in her mind, and her eyes brightened. She smiled and stepped forward, shifting a little to his left.

"Hey, Aizawa-san."

 _Oh jeez, better not be about coffee again._ He turned his head to look at her warily over his shoulder. "Hm?"

Her smile was sweet. "Your lack of enthusiasm notwithstanding, thanks! You're a good listener. That one-sided conversation made my morning," she said cheerily.

He stared at her blank-faced. _Well that's sort of a smartass way of putting it... but accurate._ And she wasn't done.

Hayate leaned forward a little to assess his features. "Mm, but you know, you said that this was a fair trade for time with the kittens, but this feels a little unfair to me… I mean, you look sort of miserable."

His brow crumpled. _Gee, thanks._ What was with these digs all of a sudden?

"I like to think these morning chats start both our days off on a good note, but your note seems a bit sour to me. So, how about this. I feel like I didn't do my favorite coffee justice with that description, so how about you just try it out, instead? Tomorrow morning?"

Surprise crossed his face. "Huh?" His eyes perked up a bit, head shifting her direction a little more. "Are you saying you'll bring me a coffee tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" She nodded, still smiling. "That way, you'll have something to look forward to today, for tomorrow. That balances things out in my mind. What do you say?" She looked at him expectantly.

Huh. Blatant disinterest in the face of enthusiasm actually paid off for once. His head cocked slightly with an incredulous look. "Eh? What do I say? You think I'm going to turn down a free coffee or something?"

"Heh, I didn't think you would."

The corners of his mouth pulled back slightly and he looked away from her to straighten as the train came to a stop. "Sure. I'll try your fancy dry coffee."

"It's pulped natural, not dry-processed."

"Whatever."

The train door opened and Aizawa stepped forward to board. However, a sudden thought occurred to him and he stopped half-way onto the train. "Hey…" He cast a suspicious glance over his shoulder.

"Hm?" She looked at him questioningly, forced to stop moving forward by his lack of advance.

"This isn't just a way to talk about coffee again tomorrow, is it?" The thought couldn't help but cross his mind, for Aizawa was a cynical and crafty person himself.

She looked surprised, then flustered. "Wha-? No! I haven't got any ulterior motives!"

"Hmmm." He kept watching her with his critical glance.

That only seemed to make her feel a bit affronted. "It isn't! I'm being honest here." She looked him in the eye without wavering. Blue, honest eyes. A lighter blue on the outer ring, darker in the middle. Huh. He hadn't bothered to pay attention to that before. He looked away.

"Alright, alright…" Aizawa started moving again. _Just making sure._ One morning of coffee-talk was more than enough.

She stepped onto the train after him and they went their separate ways, taking their typical seats apart. Aizawa settled back into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes, making due on that objective to nap away her useless coffee trivia.

Hayate, however, delayed a little in taking out her phone to read, her eyes lingering in his direction. One-sided though it had been, it had been a conversation of sorts, and the longest they'd talked so far. That made her feel good. And it had been about coffee for bonus points. She settled back with a faint smile, adding the brewing of a splendid cup of coffee to tomorrow morning's mental to-do list.

 _Sure, good coffee's not life-changing or anything, but it should start his day off right._ Her eyes sharpened a little, a certain cheap coffee label flashing through her mind. _And maybe convince him to live a little and try something better than_ _ **that**_ _! Good grief._

And with that final thought, she looked away from him and returned to her phone to read. The train started on its way with the two absorbed in their usual silence which persisted until it reached its appropriate destination. Aizawa gathered up his sleeping bag and headed for the door, his eyes sliding Hayate's way as he walked by her expectantly waiting for the line that concluded every morning between them. She looked up from her phone with a smile.

"Have a good day, Aizawa-san."

"Same to you. Hayate-san."

Until tomorrow.

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

Wednesday, Hayate's morning proceeded much the same as on Tuesday but with one modification; she had coffee to make.

French press, pour over, drip, capsule machines, AeroPress, siphon—there were a variety of methods to make a cup of coffee with instructions, technique, and minute modifications to go with each according to the brewer's preferences. For Hayate's favorite brew, she went with pour over.

For a morning where her time was already occupied with tending to kittens, Tenten, and taking care of her own needs, it was perhaps a method that required a little more 'babysitting' than some others. However, it was her favorite for two reasons. The first being the level of precise control it offered in making exactly the cup of coffee she wanted—and the control to throw it all to the wind experimenting on a whim. And the second was the consistently excellent results in extracting the unique flavor profile of each bean. This was paired with a pulp natural Kenyan coffee with sweet, savory, and berry-tart characteristics.

The result: clean, round, lightly-bodied, and with unique notes of origin present but smoothed down by the caramelization of the medium roast adding a balancing hint of bitterness. The perfectly balanced coffee for her palette. And into a coffee thermos this went as she headed out the door.

"Good morning!"

Aizawa's eyes opened and flicked her way as she arrived at the bench. They found the thermos right away. He smirked a little. "Morning." She remembered. Good. Well, he hadn't expected her to forget. But what she had said the day before had been true; the seed of anticipation had been planted, and it had germinated all day.

Hayate set the carrier down between them then offered the thermos. "As promised."

"Thanks."

He received it with his left hand then passed it to his right so the left could take its usual place in the kitten carrier. Coffee and cats. What a good morning. He didn't waste any time bringing the thermos to his lips, and Hayate watched on expectantly.

Oh. That was… unexpected. His slip slowed, mulling over the taste a little. He had been incredulous of her 'fruity' descriptions the previous day with the tomato and the black raspberry or whatever the heck she had called it, but tasting it himself made it clear. Aizawa didn't have any of those fancy coffee terms in his vocabulary, but he knew a good coffee, and this was a really good tasting coffee. Not quite like any coffee he'd ever tasted. He did not care in the slightest for how it had been created, but even he had to concede to her coffee snobbery on delivering an excellent coffee.

"So, what do you think?"

Aizawa was drawn out of his musings and glanced her way. He found her still looking at him expectantly and, perhaps a little smugly, for she certainly knew that she had outclassed his usual coffee. He swallowed and remained silent a moment, then smirked.

"Hey, you said this wouldn't be a way to talk about coffee again, remember?"

The slight smugness departed for a disgruntled twitch. "Hmph, I think it's fair to just ask if you like it."

He didn't answer, but yeah. He liked it a lot. This day was already off to a great start and he wasn't even at work yet as he raised his right hand for another appreciative sip, left hand brushing through soft kitten fur. He could get used to a set up like this—

He suddenly stilled, petting hand pausing and thermos pulling back slightly as his eye sharpened. A spark of inspiration, running through his brain. Perhaps… that would work.

"Must be better than your usual at any rate." Her words cut through his sudden thought and he glanced over. She looked a bit anxious at his persistent silence. "… Right?"

It was better than his usual. A lot better. So much better in fact, that he wouldn't mind having it again. His eyes flicked away from her and he dipped his head a little, hiding a smirk behind his Capture Weapon's coils; a serpent hiding its fangs. For a scheme had sparked to life in his mind. A wonderful scheme. Aizawa spared no thought in his life for the finer things which wasted time and effort. Every decision not wasted on trivial things was a decision's worth of energy saved for the things that were of crucial importance. But he wasn't blind to their pleasures. When it came to the enjoyment of such things, what Aizawa was, was an opportunistic predator. And so, he did what any scheming beast would do.

He lied.

"Hmmm… it's alright." His shoulders lifted in a shrug, raising the thermos a little and looking at it. "I mean, I'll finish it of course, but the best coffee I've ever had? Meh."

Hayate seized up, taken aback. "What? What do you mean?"

"It's so weak it's almost tea. Actually…" He took a thoughtful sip. "Mm. Yep. Fruity enough to be a tea."

"E-Er—oh. Well... it must seem exotic compared to your usual, I s-suppose," she stammered, looking baffled.

"Is this really your favorite?" He continued, glancing over at her with the thermos still lifted questioningly. "You talked it up so much with all that coffee jargon I really was picturing something better. It's good enough, sure, but it's more of a letdown."

Her brows furrowed together, features disgruntled as she retorted. "Says the guy who drinks instant sludge without a thought! You didn't even care at all just yesterday."

"Hm…" He lifted the thermos back to his lips with an air of nonchalance. "Guess I'm a latent coffee snob."

Her brow twitched. "You just made that up."

"Hm, well, whatever," he shrugged differently after finishing his sip (another delightful sip, mind you), hands lifting up a bit along with the thermos. "Guess fancy coffee just isn't all that."

Aizawa didn't glance her way again after that, remaining self-contained with an air of passive indifference as he drank her coffee and pet the kittens. He didn't have to look over. He could tell from the rising tone of indignation in her voice that she was feeling properly snubbed, and now it was only a matter of time to see if his scheme would work.

For Aizawa had set a trap. And now he waited to see if she would take the bait. When people were passionate about things, that passion could be exploited. When presented with such opportunity for personal benefit, any predator would act, it was only natural. Of course, a little lie like this wouldn't actually do any harm, he wasn't unnecessarily cruel with his schemes. This was just a little… _logical ruse_.

And quite a tempting bait he had placed as Hayate's mind raced at a seething pace. _What the heck?! This coffee is **definitely** better than what he usually drinks. Have his taste buds been damaged by that crap? He can't actually like that better than this! I brought him a wonderful coffee and he's totally dissing it! I didn't think he was the ungrateful type. Sure, I'm a coffee snob, but he's just being outright snooty. Tch, he can't seriously enjoy tasting burnt charcoal every morning more than a quality brew!_

She gave a little huff, swallowing down some of her annoyance as she spoke again. "I suppose it's true that not everyone has the same taste preferences. Fine then. What do you like best?"

There it is. A nibble at the bait. He smiled. On the inside. On the outside, he glanced her way straight-faced, a little bored even. "Hey, you're trying to talk about coffee again."

She looked like she wanted to protest that but hesitated. _I did say that, but…_ "If you're going to criticize something, do so constructively. Otherwise, you're just complaining. The coffee's not to your liking, so then, what is?"

He looked at her silently for a few seconds in consideration. Huh. He actually did legitimately agree with that sentiment. He finally let his smile break through as he looked forward again with a thoughtful hum, closing his eyes and resting his right elbow on the back of the bench.

"Hmmm… Dark and strong. Almost thick. I like it when it lingers. It should bite me back. And I don't need this fruity business. Just straight-forward coffee. I'm in it for the caffeine."

He opened his eyes and looked at her, meeting her eyes with a bit of a smirk. "Got any fancy coffee like that?"

She didn't answer him right away, fixing him with her own thoughtful frown. _Good grief, he's suddenly a critic. But we do have completely different palettes, I'll give him that._ It was blatantly obvious that he was presenting her with a challenge. But after all that griping about her favorite coffee not being up to snuff, she wasn't quite sold. She looked away from him and her head slowly turned straight.

"Hm… Perhaps." Was all she said.

Aizawa studied her for a few seconds in silence, then his own eyes drifted back down to the kittens as he took a long sip from the thermos. It wasn't a resounding "yes", but she definitely didn't look satisfied. Well, he'd just have to wait and see if the seed he had planted would come to fruition. Seed. Hah. Because it was about coffee. And coffee was a seed. A mildly annoyed look ghosted across his face and he took another sip. _I was supposed to forget that useless trivia._

His attention shifted back to his left as she suddenly stood up. He glanced at her then beyond her to take notice of the train which had just come into view. Oh. Here already. Aizawa withdrew his hand from the carrier so that she could zip it up. He set the thermos to his right and got up and out of his sleeping bag, slinging it under his left arm and picking up the coffee again with his right hand as he walked over and stopped behind her on the platform. He swished the thermos slightly, getting a sense for the weight.

Still had most of it left. He was drinking it rather slowly, which was quite unusual for him. Usually coffee departed down his throat as quickly and efficiently as practically every other aspect of his life, but he was rather enjoying the flavor and savoring it a little. Also, for more practical reasons, delaying in drinking it would delay when the caffeine kicked in, and that way it would hit him as he got to U.A. Caffeine also wouldn't help his nap on the train.

He went to his seat and got tucked back into his bag and zipped it up to his chin, coffee in his hands under the fabric. The lid was one that closed he observed so there was no need to worry about it spilling as he descended into a light nap.

He didn't notice how Hayate watched him. Putting a coffee cup in his sleeping bag. _Is he saving it for later? Weird._ Well, whatever. She took out her phone and opened up a digital book. She started to read, but after having read the same three paragraphs twice and still not having a clue what was going on, she acknowledged that she was still thoroughly distracted. Annoyed, really. Her eyes flicked back over to Aizawa, napping away without a care in the world. And it was his fault.

She brought him a coffee she didn't have to bring, and he had nothing positive to say about it at all. And it was her favorite coffee he was trashing, no less. He was brutally honest in his opinions. Of course, she valued honesty highly, but there were more polite and less blatant ways to express your opinions.

She silently seethed and half-heartedly skimmed through her book as the minutes ticked by. When the train came to his stop, her eyes were already up from her phone and on him. He still hadn't touched the coffee.

Aizawa opened his eyes as the train came to a stop. He unzipped his sleeping bag and stepped out with coffee in hand, and gathered up the bag under his left arm once more. He lifted the coffee and opened the lid. Down the hatch. Aizawa drank. And drank. And _drank_.

From across the way, Hayate watched him with a look of outright disbelief. When you went to the effort of buying a specialty coffee, grinding it, and preparing it in a certain, particular way to make the taste perfect, you _had_ to savor it. _Appreciate_ it. Even just a _little_. And yet, here he was before her very eyes, guzzling it down like he couldn't wait to get rid of it. That was the last straw!

Aizawa started walking, tilting his head back until the cup ran dry, then brought it back down with a satisfied exhale. Great. That caffeine would hit him right when he needed it too at U.A. And dang, it tasted good. He came to a stop having judged where Hayate was in his periphery and held out the empty thermos.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Aizawa-san. Have a nice day." Her tone was clipped.

 _Hm?_ He looked at her eyes and was a little surprised by the look in them. "… You too. Hayate-san." He turned away slowly, feeling a little weirded out. _What's with that glare? All I said was "thanks"._

Though he didn't look back, rest assured the look followed him all the way off the train.

"Tch!" Hayate looked down at her phone and started speed-not-reading with renewed fervor. He'd get a damn good coffee alright. _Exactly_ the way he asked for it!

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Wednesday morning's coffee misadventure had left a sour taste in Hayate's mouth and put an agenda on her mind.

That night right before leaving work, she had gone to the coffee cupboard in the breakroom. Her eyes had searched not for the main brews that everyone preferred, but for a small airtight container pushed back a ways to the side. The beans she took out were very dark. Kasuya's favorite coffee.

Kasuya was a lover of some _dark_ specialty coffee and had fallen for this particular coffee the instant she had tried it, and drank it ever since. She brought some from home to make for herself at work.

High-quality Robusta beans; rather unusual, as most specialty coffee was Arabica due to what was typically perceived as a more appealing flavor. Strong, full-bodied, and highly caffeinated. If this didn't meet his expectations then... who was she kidding, this coffee was going to nail it.

Hayate took the container down and opened it to transfer a small sum of the beans into a container for her own use. She was just about to close the lid when she was suddenly interrupted.

"See you tomorrow!"

Hayate jumped just a little, recognizing the voice. "Ah—! Right! Have a good night," she turned a little and smiled at Kasuya, standing in the hall looking in.

"Hm?" Kasuya's attention was drawn to the familiar containers on the counter there. "... You're beannapping me?"

"Ah, I figured you wouldn't mind me taking just a few," Hayate replied sheepishly. "Enough for one brew. You know I'll get you more, anyway."

Kasuya looked curious, taking a step into the room and leaning against the door frame. "Since when have you liked dark roast?"

"Oh, it's not for me. I'm… settling a bet, of sorts."

"Bet?"

"That I can make a killer cup of coffee for a picky person."

"Hahah! And they'll like my beans?"

"Well... I _think_ he will."

Kasuya raised an eyebrow. " _He?_ "

Hayate waved her off. "Don't go getting the wrong idea. He's just a fellow morning commuter. Been chatting with him while we wait for the train in the morning. He loves petting the kittens." Her eyes drifted to the side, picturing his face. "And honestly, he looks like he needs a pick-me-up before work."

"So you're bringing him a coffee?"

"Uh-huh. It's... a little long-winded on how we got here, but basically, we started talking about coffee."

Kasuya gave her friend a knowing look. "Yep, that'll do it."

Hayate rolled her eyes and turned back to the counter. "Anyway, so I needed some of your beans for him."

"Sounds like interesting commute you got there." Kasuya pushed away from the doorframe. "Well, have a good one!"

"Yeah, you too." Hayate put Kasuya's container away and picked up her own. _And he definitely will, too. For sure, this time._

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Thursday morning and Hayate was on a mission.

Tenten. Kittens. Breakfast. Clothes. **_Coffee_**.

Forget pour over. Delicate notes of flavor were wasted on this guy. This coffee would be a delicious punch to the face.

Hayate took out her French press. Pour the water over the grounds, wait, and press down. Simple and straight-forward in concept, just like he asked for. Of course, it wasn't _really_ that mindless if you wanted something quality to drink, but she'd spare her breath with him on the details.

A cup and the coffee thermos from yesterday were set beside the press. Into the cup she poured first, ignoring the thermos for the moment. Just a little bit; enough to test the flavor. She brought the cup to her lips and took a small sip. Her face scrunched up. _Uggghhh_. That was _way_ stronger than she liked. But, and this was an important distinction, it was not _bad_. Palette wetted, Hayate took another sip, mulling it over as she looked at the liquid in the press.

It was a dark, rich color, matching the harsh strength of flavor. It punched the tongue with bold notes of walnuts and chocolate and followed through with an earthy bitterness, like unsweetened or dark cocoa, that lingered on the tongue long after she had swallowed. It felt heavy sliding past her tongue and down her throat leaving a nice, long-lasting finish with a nutty aftertaste. A heavy-hitting coffee with a high caffeine content.

 _"Dark and strong. Almost thick. I like it when it lingers. It should bite me back. And I don't need this fruity business. Just straight-forward coffee. I'm in it for the caffeine."_

 _Exactly_ what he asked for.

Satisfied, she poured the rest of the coffee into the thermos and tightened the lid. _To the train station_.

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"Good morning."

Aizawa opened his eyes. He looked to his left. Hayate, kittens, and one thermos full of coffee graced his sight. A satisfied smirk graced his lips, finding his scheme successful.

"Morning." Another good morning by his assessment.

Hayate studied him for a moment without expression then sat down, putting the carrier between them and practically shoving the coffee into his reach.

"Wipe that smirk off your face and drink this."

His eyebrow raised a just a little, intrigued. Well, that wasn't very sweet like usual. Guess she was still annoyed. But he did not stop smirking as he took the coffee and opened the lid. "Sure, sure. But just so you know, we're still not talking about coffee."

She didn't reply, instead just watching him as he brought the thermos to his lips with a look that might have said she couldn't care less what he said until she was satisfied with his reaction.

The coffee hit his tongue, and he nearly stopped short. _Oh_. Now that was something special. Sure, Aizawa couldn't remember every cup of coffee he'd ever tasted, but even if he could, he'd still be certain that this was the best damn cup he'd ever had. He loved it. He absolutely loved it. And it didn't even cost him a single yen. He'd given a list, and she had followed through on it exactly. Count on a coffee snob to deliver, he supposed, sipping slowly, savoring it. Great morning this was turning out to be.

"That more to your liking?" Hayate's words cut through his reverie.

He pulled the coffee back a little and glanced over at her. She looked like she was practically on the edge of her seat waiting for his reply, which now that he thought about it, he had fallen rather silent for a while as he sipped. But she also looked like she was anticipating victory. Which, to be fair, was totally justified with this cup and a well-earned win in his book. But then that begged a very important question…

Aizawa's eyes shifted forward again, mind calculating as he took another slow, contemplative sip and slipped his hand into the carrier to pet the chins of three kittens. That was two days in a row now that he'd started off wonderfully, with coffee and kittens, and this morning was even better than the last. He was feeling unusually lucky this week. Just how far could he push this profitable ruse…?

"Hmmm…" He ended another small, slow slip, tongue running around the inside of his mouth and enjoying that heavy, oily flavor. Nutty. He spoke slowly, almost reluctantly. "Don't get me wrong… it's nice. It's just that, I was expecting... more?"

Her brows twitched together. "What?"

"I mean, the way you talked nonstop the other day about coffee, I figured it must be a revelation or something. I keep sipping to look for something special. But it's just... coffee."

She did not look impressed in the slightest. "Can you seriously tell me with a straight face that waking up to this every morning would not be better than that instant crap you normally drink?"

"Mmm, sure, it is better, that much is true. This is good coffee. But considering the extra effort it must have taken to make, plus the higher cost—meh." His shoulders shrugged. "It would take something more than this." Maybe. Actually, this coffee was pretty tempting.

Hayate gave him a flat look. "It's a French press. You put the grounds in then the water, wait, and press down. That's a pretty darn effortless concept. And it's a higher quality product that's sustainable and responsibly sourced. Of course it costs more, but you get what you pay for."

"Hmm..." He sipped, thinking on that. She made things sound rather reasonable. _But_ , he pulled the thermos back to speak. "Pressing a button's even easier. Staff room coffee doesn't cost me anything." He glanced her way. "Just doesn't seem worth it to me. This all there is to specialty coffee?"

The expression on Hayate's face as she looked at him was incredibly incredulous. _What the heck?! This coffee is exactly what he asked for. And even if it wasn't, it certainly is closer than the first one I brought him to his ideal cup. Yet he's hardly even acknowledging it. Does **he** even know what he wants?_

Her mind raced, thoughts a whirl with possibilities and answers whizzing by, and then a sudden moment of clarity sparked a connection. Her mind stilled on that thought, and her eyes sharpened. _Wait a minute…_

 _"Hmmm… it's alright... I mean, I'll finish it of course, but the best coffee I've ever had? Meh." "Hmmm… Don't get me wrong… it's nice. It's just that, I was expecting... more?"_

 _"Got any fancy coffee like that?" "This all there is to specialty coffee?"_

Maybe she was just finding patterns where there were none. Maybe he really was being honest. Or maybe he was up to something and her B.S. detector was firing a warning.

... _Something more,_ huh? Or maybe just, _some more_.

A suspicious, critical stare with squinted eyes was set upon him as Aizawa sipped none the wiser, looking back out across the tracks and petting the kittens unperturbed. It suddenly vanished and she looked forward, a hand coming to her chin thoughtfully.

"Hm... perhaps. I might have something like that."

Aizawa glanced over as she spoke, finding her looking rather engrossed in a thought. Well, that boded well for his prospects. After studying her for a moment, he looked forward again without offering a response.

Their shared morning proceeded in mutual silence. The train came, they boarded and then went to their separate seats. Hayate watched him tuck the coffee in his sleeping bag again with a faint eye roll, folding one leg over the other and taking out her phone. She actually did manage to read a few pages, distractedly though, with thoughts from earlier still lingering. When the train came to a stop, her eyes were on him.

Aizawa shambled out of his sleeping bag with coffee in hand. There wasn't as much left to finish off this time. Back on the bench, he couldn't keep from sipping at it frequently, keeping the taste fresh in his mouth. He started walking and tilted the cup back, drinking slowly and timing his step to line up with Hayate as he reached the final, wonderful drop. He held out the empty thermos.

"Thanks. Have a nice day, Hayate-san." His voice was just a little more chipper than usual. Relatively. Considering its 'chipperness' started at 'chiperless'.

"You're welcome. You too, Aizawa-san." No glare this time.

Her eyes followed him off the train then slowly drifted down to the thermos. Her finger tapped it thoughtfully. _We'll see. Tomorrow._

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 _Later that day…_

"Hey you!" Kasuya popped her head in the breakroom with a smile. "I'm heading out."

Hayate stirred, looking away from the open cupboard and over her shoulder with a smile. "Ah, sure thing. Have a good weekend. Quick question: mind if I nab a few more beans?"

"Hm?" Kasuya paused in the doorway curiously.

Hayate's eyes flicked back to the cupboard, settling on the dark beans. "I've got another bet."

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Friday at the train station began as always with two infamous words.

"Good morning."

Aizawa opened his eyes. And spied in her right hand a familiar thermos. He bit back a victorious grin.

"Good morning." What a successful scheme.

Hayate lifted the cup. "Third time's a charm." She sat down and handed the coffee his way. "Also, this is the last one. I'm not going to bring coffee all of next week."

One glance at the toughened look in her eyes and Aizawa recognized this to be true. Oh well. All good schemes had to come to an end. He received the coffee with a wry grin. "Hey, I never said you had to bring any coffee."

She didn't give him a response, watching him with a tight-lipped expression instead. _No, but you were practically asking for it._

Aizawa settled back in a content way and brought the thermos to his lips. What did she bring him this time? The coffee graced his tongue with a familiar flavor. _Oh, this one tastes like_ yesterday's. That was a winning flavor profile in his book. He sipped deeply. Yeah, just as good as yesterday's, maybe even better. She really knew her stuff.

Hayate let him enjoy it in silence for a few moments before she spoke up, observing him closely all the while. "So, how is it?"

Aizawa finished his sip at his leisure before acknowledging her, his head shifting her way a little to look at her. Oh, how sorely tempted he was to lie, just push the ruse a little bit further… but no, that wasn't going to work. He had reached the limit of this scheme, that he recognized. Well, and her patience's limits, for that matter. Considering the rather unflattering comments he had made about her hobby, he couldn't fault her for that. So then, that settled it in his mind. After leading her around the last two days with his ruse, the least he owed her in exchange for these fine morning coffees was an honest response on this final day. And so, he smiled.

"Mm. That's some damn good coffee."

Her face brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah. Strong, lingering. That nutty flavor is a nice touch." He looked forward and took another sip, his brain stretching to find some sort of official-sounding coffee term that would satisfy her. His lack of coffee vocabulary failed him, though. _Guess I shouldn't have forgotten all of that useless trivia so soon._

He scratched that thought as he finished his sip, settling on something simple and to the point. "I'd say you nailed it."

"Excellent! Heh, finally... I thought for sure yesterday's coffee would be it."

"Mm, that one was good."

"But today's is better?"

"Mm, yeah."

"A lot better?"

"Mmmm..." He struggled with that question a little. Honestly, they both tasted amazing. But keeping with yesterday's ruse... "That one was good, but today's is spot on. It's great."

"That so? Hmmm… that's rather odd."

"Hm?" He glanced over at her questioningly. He stopped short on asking his next question though as he saw her face.

She was smiling at him. Not the sweet smile from just a second ago, but a sly, foxlike grin with lips closed. A look that said, "I know something you don't". Aizawa didn't like looks like that. Not if he wasn't the one wearing them. His expression turned wary at the sudden change. "... Why's that?" He asked slowly.

Her grin grew a little in satisfaction. "Because it _is_ the same coffee as yesterday."

His body stilled, eyes froze on her. She kept smiling at his silence, her lips ready to burst into a toothy grin but holding back still. Slowly, mutely, his head and eyes turned forward, heartbeat picking up a little. It was at this moment that Aizawa realized that he had made a crucial error.

Caught up by his sense of unusually good luck and the assurance afforded by Thursday's success, Aizawa had failed to consider the possibility that perhaps she might sense his dishonesty, and thus, he pushed his scheme just a little too far. A logical oversight on his part.

"Hmm..." He brought the thermos to his lips and took a slow sip, buying himself some time to think quickly. _No wonder they tasted so similar._ He pulled the cup back and licked his lips. "Are you sure?" Maybe he could save himself from some of her indignations. Maybe. "This doesn't taste the same to me." His eyes flicked her way to watch her reaction. "Must have brewed it differently."

Her grin didn't budge in the slightest, and her gaze remained on his levelly, mirth dancing in her eyes. "Can't be that. Us coffee snobs are very precise with our technique. I made sure to brew it the same. _Exactly_ the same."

 _... Shit._ She was ready and armed. The thermos hovered close to his face and his mind paced, eyes not dropping away from hers. "Hm, must have been some bad grounds."

"I ground the beans myself. I took them out of the exact same container. They were not bad. Also, I tasted the brew, and the flavor was the same."

... Dang, that didn't leave a lot of openings. His gaze slid forward with feigned nonchalance. "Huh. Guess it must just be me. Might of been toothpaste. I'll confess I didn't brush today." That last bit was totally a lie, his morning routine ran like clockwork, but a little self-deprecation could serve to soften a blow.

She didn't buy it one bit. But at last, while her smile did not wane, her eyes did leave his, dropping down to the kittens. They were mewing and huddled toward the door on his side, waiting for him as usual. She hadn't unzipped the door as she usually did. Her plan came first. However, he hadn't even tried to slide his hand in to pet the kittens this morning. He was clearly too distracted by his futile backpedaling.

Hilarious to watch him, really. The expression on his face at the moment of revelation was extremely satisfying, worth every bit of the annoyance he'd earned her these last few days. For Hayate was a kind person. She was sweet. And she would always give people the benefit of the doubt on the first go; a chance to prove themselves honest. Just as she had given him an opportunity here. But she was not a doormat. Try to pull one over on her, and you would quickly find that two could play at that game.

Hayate unzipped the carrier door on the end facing her and put her hand in to pet their soft backs, drawing their attention away from him and towards her as she spoke coolly.

"I've got a theory, Aizawa-san. Here's what I think. You actually liked the coffee on Wednesday, the first one I brought you. Actually, you liked it quite a lot. Enough that you wanted more, but didn't want to admit it. So you lied about it in such a way to incite my passion for coffee into bringing you another. You used the same tactic yesterday as well." Her eyes lifted from the kittens, still grinning. "What do you think of that theory? Sound about right?"

Aizawa eyed her, saying nothing at first. She didn't seem to be mad at his futile attempts which dug the hole even deeper. To the contrary, she seemed to be completely enjoying herself at his expense. Back straight, one leg crossed comfortably over the other, left hand resting on her leg, right hand extended into the carrier petting the kittens, and her eyes pinned on him levelly. And that relentless grin. Probably smiling so hard it hurt. Completely relaxed, in control, enjoying this.

And why not enjoy it a little? Because yep. That was it exactly. Drat, she had him figured out. His eyes settled on the thermos in his hand. Which meant that this being the same coffee as before was a deliberate ploy to flush out his deception by having him trip over his own words, no effort needed from her. The predator had become the prey of the prey, in a manner of speaking. Or, to put it another way— _A logical ruse within a ruse._

 _Well, isn't that just…_ He lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking in silence for a long pause. And then with a sound that started softly deep in his throat and rose up in volume, he gave a hearty chuckle. Hayate's smile dipped slightly in surprise at the sound, one she had never heard from him before, and she watched the corners of his mouth pull back into a genuine smile as he opened his eyes, a sharp gleam in them as he looked straight across the tracks. _… Amusing._

A hum rose up in his throat for a moment, and then he spoke, eyes still looking out across the tracks. "Hmmm... before that, let me take a guess at something. You suspected me of lying about your coffee, but you didn't want to just accuse me of it. You wanted proof. So you brought the exact same coffee as yesterday in order to determine if I was lying or not. Which means, you had to make sure I'd be honest about the coffee today. And that's why you started by saying that you wouldn't be bringing any more coffee after this one in order to eliminate the incentive for me to lie.

If my response today had been the same as yesterday's, you would have had to swallow your pride and acknowledge that I just genuinely was that unimpressed with your specialty coffee. But since I was honest today exposing yesterday's lie, that means you get to be as smug as you want since I clearly liked your coffee well enough to lie to get more of it, which proves your point on it being worth it." His gaze slid her way. "That sound about right?"

Her smile had restored itself as she listened to him. Finally, he was admitting it. "Yep." A simple, smug one-liner.

His eyes stayed on hers levelly. "It wasn't a foolproof plan, though. Now that I think about it, there were two ways I could have answered it 'correctly'. The first would have been lying again and saying the same as on Thursday since coming up with a truthful answer required extra effort. And the other was that I could have pretended that I lied about liking the coffee to make you feel better, and, when you called me on this, admit to that lie."

Her grin did subside a little at that as she contemplated him. He was still grinning despite admitting he'd lost. Why was he so at ease with this situation?

"Well," she replied, proceeding a little more thoughtfully, "I suppose that's why it was a bet. On whether or not you'd follow your own sense of fair trade. I figured that if you did indeed like the coffee, you'd recognize that leaving me annoyed would be unfair. And since you'd have no incentive to lie, you might as well tell the truth."

He studied her for a moment then looked forward. "Heh, you got me there... and of course, I fell for it." His lip pulled back wryly, exposing a flash of teeth. " _Whoops._ "

Hayate watched him, not replying at first. He was owning up to it, but he didn't sound particularly distraught with a content grin still plastered on his face. Actually, he looked downright humored. A foreign concept with the man in her experience so far. She wasn't quite sure what to do with it as she studied his profile.

"... That's quite a thorough post-defeat analysis you've produced."

He looked over at her quickly. "Eh? Defeat? I wasn't beat at all," he answered, completely unabashed.

Her brow scrunched in confusion. "Huh?"

His wry smile broke open fully into a wide, toothy grin. "I got three straight days of great coffee. My logical ruse was a complete success."

She leveled a flat look at him. _Ah. So that's why he's not bothered._ It didn't matter if she'd found him out or not, because he'd already gotten what he wanted. He seemed to be keenly waiting for her reply though, watching her. _Huh… Why?_ It dawned on her then. This back and forth analyzing, the trickery… he really was enjoying this, wasn't he? The corners of her mouth twitched back up, thoughts racing, searching, calculating a response. He was enjoying this little challenge, but really, they both were.

Her mind settled on a thought, locking it into place as she sent a sly look back his way. "Mmmm, I wouldn't quite say that," she started slowly. "The first coffee had nothing to do with your, 'logical ruse'; I brought it as a show of goodwill. The second coffee your scheme earned, I'll give you that, but the third? That was me testing my theory, and as it turned out my 'ruse' was a complete success. Your scheme was only good for one out of three. Put that way, the first coffee is mute, the second one was your point, and the third was mine. I'd call that a draw."

His toothy grin subsided at that. "Huh…" He looked forward again. "Didn't think of it that way." He stayed that way for a few moments of contemplative silence, then his chin dipped with a toothy smile returning to his face.

"Heh… I suppose that's the truth. Whelp, sounds fair to me. It's settled then." His chin came back up and he turned his head fully, looking her directly in the eyes and smiling.

"You're a sharp one, Hayate-san."

Her eyelids lifted in surprise. She held his gaze, searching his eyes. There was a spark in them. Not anything obvious or brilliant; more like the subtle gleam of obsidian. Humored and mischievous. Nothing like the glazed over, dull charcoal stare he usually wore. That was a genuine compliment, not just him being honest. It lit a small flame of warmth in her chest. After so many mornings of him looking so spiritless, there it was, finally. A glimpse of the man beneath the bags under his eyes, the disheveled hair, and the ever-present sleeping bag. She had broken through.

The warmness in her chest spread to her smile, and she looked forward over the tracks suddenly feeling a little shy.

"… Well, you're not as dull as I thought, Aizawa-san."

He cocked his head a little. "Eh? You thought I was dull?"

"Do you think you _look_ otherwise?"

"Hm… fair point. Heheh."

His eyes lingered on her profile for another moment or two, then they flicked down to the kittens. His hand was itching to get on to the morning's favorite activity. One he had neglected to start, so distracted, was he. Her hand was already in the carrier, though. And he realized as he looked at it that she hadn't unzipped the side facing him when she set it down.

His eyes flicked up her to again. She was looking content, a smile on her lips as she faced straight ahead. Logically, he understood it perfectly and kicked himself a little for not noticing it before. Regardless of his answer to the coffee, the carrier was still closed. It was a powerful move using access to the kittens against him.

His eyes flicked back down to the carrier. Well, she had never said he couldn't open it himself. Her opening it was just the expectation. It was an _invitation_ , after all. Which meant logically that not opening it was denying an invitation.

He looked back at her. She had kept the carrier closed before she had even heard his answer to the coffee, suggesting that she had intended to deny the invitation until after hearing his answer. But now that he had answered and it was still closed… it logically suggested he was still denied. However, based on how things had gone, he thought they had ended a pretty good note. She should have opened the carrier… right? Logically?

Her eyes suddenly shifted his way. They locked onto his eyes for a moment, then flicked down to the carrier and back up to his again. "What're you staring at me for? You know how to open a zipper."

His eyes widened, expression going a bit blank. "Uh… right." _Oh_. Well, that settled that question, then. Open it yourself, idiot.

She snickered at his expression.

He gave her a disgruntled look, a twinge of heat pricking his cheeks, but then the corners of his mouth slowly crept up a little in faint amusement. Geez, she wasn't quite as sweet as he remembered. In an interesting way. His eyes dropped back to the kittens, and he moved his left hand forward no further prompting needed.

All three of the kittens were huddled to her side, vying for attention, though one sat a little further back. Aizawa vaguely recalled her saying it was the other male kitten of the trio, meeker in temperament and less demanding of attention than the other two. Especially the runt, his faced pushed flush against her hand at the present moment. His fingers brushed down the back of the left-out kitten. The little face turned his way, and the male kitten moved to his side of the carrier. Hayate watched the kitten move over, following his fingers. Two kittens on her side, one on his. The left-out kitten enjoyed his full attention for only a few seconds though, for soon enough another kitten noticed the arrival of a morning friend.

The runt abandoned Hayate's normal, familiar, _boring_ hand and tottled over to Aizawa's hand, climbing onto his brother without any shame, both of them mewing at the situation. Aizawa's hand paused and switched kittens for a few head scratches, then shifted back again to the first kitten. The runt protested this sharing, following wherever his fingers went. Hayate observed this transpire for about a minute, back and forth, kitten one to kitten two, fingers teasing the pestering runt. Two kittens but only one hand. Quite the terrible struggle. Two kittens on his side, one hers. She reached her fingers farther into the carrier and gently pinched the runt's tail, rubbing it between her fingers.

Oh, he didn't like that. The runt shuffled determinably after her fingers all the way back to her side, trying to catch them with his paws. Then fell on his sister. A carrier was just too small to play in. Aizawa watched him with faint amusement. The male kitten seemed a little relieved to not have to compete with the smaller but feistier kitten, flopping down and laying against his hand. One kitten on his side, two on hers.

Hayate switched between the two kittens, lightly pushing the runt back whenever he tried to get attention when it wasn't his turn. His sister at least had a bit more pep in her step, pushing him off when he tried to climb on her. Back and forth it went between them for another minute, and then a hand crept forward. Hayate watched Aizawa's fingers sneak up behind the runt then suddenly scruff up the fur on his back before retreating as the kitten turned. The runt followed, enthralled by this game of chase. Two kittens on his side, one on hers.

Their eyes looked up briefly, meeting for a moment with a faint smile, then returned to the kittens in silent acknowledgment. A kitten and a half for each of them. That was fair. The kitten swap continued back and forth until the train came.

Each pulled their hand out of the carrier and zipped up the carrier. Hayate gathered up the kittens and went to the platform, and Aizawa followed after her with coffee in hand. He'd sort of forgotten to drink it during their exchange with most of it still remaining. They boarded and parted ways as always.

Aizawa took his seat and started to pull his sleeping back up to his chin, but then he stopped. Actually… he didn't feel so tired this morning. To the contrary, he was feeling rather alert. Well, between the amusement of the logical ruse within a ruse, the kittens, the coffee, and… well, Hayate herself, perhaps it wasn't so surprising. The zipper stayed at his waist, his eyes remained open, and the coffee was lifted his mouth. Well, might as well take his time drinking it on the way to work.

This didn't go unnoticed by Hayate as she sent a furtive glance his way while taking out her phone to read. She smiled to herself, celebrating a secret victory. He really did enjoy that coffee. Her eyes started across the first page then stopped with a sudden thought. They flicked across the train to Aizawa. _Kasuya's coffee he obviously loves, but mine…?_ It lingered in her mind.

By the time the train came to his stop, Aizawa had finished the coffee at his own leisurely pace. A bittersweet ending. Well, emotionally. Taste-wise it was a fine conclusion to a fine week. He rose and started walking. Hayate was already looking his way when he shifted his eyes to her on his approach. He stopped and held out the thermos.

"Thanks. I really enjoyed that."

"You're welcome. Um, quick question." The thought wouldn't leave her.

"Hm?"

"The first coffee I brought you, the one that was my favorite—what did you actually think of it?"

"Oh." His eyes lifted, thinking for a moment. "Hm… I'd say… it was the second best coffee I've had." His lips suddenly split in a grin. "After the one I had the next day."

Her eyes widened. "Wha—? So that whole time you were saying it was 'weak as tea' and a 'let down' it was actually the best you'd had?!"

"Huh, yeah, I guess I did say that." He turned away nonchalantly. "Guess I insulted tea-lovers, too."

" _I'm_ a tea-lover, too!"

"Hah, doubly insulting, was it?" He gave a chuckle at her expense, lifting a hand farewell as he stepped off the train. "Have a good one, Hayate-san."

 _Tch!_ She didn't give a second thought to the next words that left her mouth. "You too, _Ass_ awa-san!"

He stopped on the platform, caught off-guarded. "Huh?" He peered over his shoulder back into the train, but her eyes were fixed on her phone without acknowledgment of him.

After a moment he looked away wordlessly and started walking again. His expression was thoughtful as he muttered to himself. "Assawa... heh. Heheheh." His lips parted in a toothy grin and he let out a laugh. That was a snappy comeback. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the train, still grinning.

He had thought previously that her favorite coffee would be sweet, but that wasn't quite right. It had an acidic bite to it, too. A nip of bitterness. An interesting, enjoyable balance. Well, it's not like people reflected their coffee preferences exactly or anything, but, he had to admit that she seemed to match it well. His eyes shifted forward again, still smiling, until all of a sudden the smile died with a thought.

 _It's going to be boring waiting for the train on Saturday._

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 _A little later, Friday morning…_

Kasuya popped her head into the break room. "Hey you! G'morning!"

Hayate stirred, looking up from her coffee. "Hey lady! Same to you."

"How'd things go with that coffee? Your commute buddy like it?"

She looked at Kasuya, thinking for a moment. "Well…" How to put that morning's exchange into words, exactly? The ruse, the kittens, that spark of life in his eyes… and a sudden cringe. _"Assawa"… I shouldn't have let that slip out!_ Her eyes lowered again to the coffee, a smile overtaking her lips. Happy. That's how that morning left her feeling.

"Let's just say I won my bet."

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 **And that's a wrap! A very long wrap. Honestly, this chapter just kept growing as I was writing it, more than I expected it to based on my outline.**

 **I'm also gonna go on record and just say that even after writing this chapter, and doing a fair bit of coffee research, and having like fifteen coffee-related tabs open at all times during the writing process, I still have no clue if this sound even halfway believable when it comes to coffee lol Again, I don't drink the stuff! (Tea please!) But hopefully it's "good'nuff".**


	6. Chance Encounters with the Color Yellow

**I had a Guest reader ask if all the coffee stuff in Chapter 5 was accurate, and yes it was, to the best of my knowledge and ability. Of course, right after I finished my coffee chapters, luck would have it that an episode of "Japanology Plus" about coffee would be posted and come to my attention. If you are interested to know how Japan does coffee, go check that out.**

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There was always one objective in the back of Aizawa's mind every school day; to _leave_ as soon as possible.

And not in the sense that he couldn't wait to be let free for the night. Rather, he aimed to get his work at U.A. done as quickly and efficiently as possible so that he could, well, _go to work_. Again. Preferably somewhere dark with advantageous vantage points to swoop down on unsuspecting delinquents with ease.

He got to U.A. early and left early too, relative to the other teachers. Classes for the hero course began at 8:25 am and ended at 4:10 pm. He aimed to be here by 6:30 am and gone by 4:30 pm at the latest, circumstances permitting. The alone time in the staff room that his early commute bought him was put to good use getting as much done as possible before he tucked into his sleeping bag for a snooze until he could progress further. His coworkers were long passed the point of commenting on this behavior; disheveled and extremely introverted though he was, unreliable and a slacker he most certainly was not. If Eraser Head was sleeping, then Eraser Head's work was as done as he could get it at that current moment in time.

This high-efficiency mindset was essential to his hero duties for, as a crime-fighting specialist like himself, time truly was of the essence. The peak hours for the violent crime which was his bread and butter started in the evening and ran late into the night. Thus, if the hours for his "day job" were a consistent 6:30 am to 4:30 pm, his "night job" hours were likewise a consistent 5:00 pm to 12:00 am—give or take an hour or two, circumstances permitting.

Of course, crime fighting was far less consistently scheduled than a high school. Just because he was "on the clock" didn't mean criminals were going to be throwing themselves at his feet. To apprehend criminals you needed a crime, and to get a crime you needed it to be reported, and a call to action from the police involved a not-insignificant amount of time spent waiting. (Read: _sleeping_.)

Obviously, any time not spent actively working had to be spent doing _something_ , and his busy-busy, two-job schedule certainly didn't leave many hours available for rest. The natural solution to this problem was, in his mind, very simple and logical: learn to fall asleep at a moment's notice, anytime, anywhere, and do it. See? Easy. Circadian rhythms be damned, he made his biological clock conform to his needs, not the other way around.

Not really, you can't change biology that easily, hence the eternal bags under his eyes. But why the hell should he care what he looked like? He had a job to do, an important one where actual lives could be at stake. Appearances were a mere triviality. He demanded efficiency, functionality, and purpose from the things in his life. Things like his sleeping bag.

That ever-present companion of his, as identifying as his Capturing Weapon and his scruff. If spotted, one could be assured that he was nearby; if not already in it. His coworkers knew this all too well. Can't find Eraser Head? Then find his sleeping bag, for wherever he had gone, he would surely return to it. And if you couldn't find his sleeping bag, then… well, give up. He'd show up when he wanted to be found. So it would come as no surprise that his trusty sleeping bag accompanied him on his night shift, too.

Saturday evening. Clock-out at 4:22pm. Passing the gates of U.A., Eraser Head stepped forward with a remarkable slouch into the evening, arm-in-arm with his faithful unofficial sidekick. No sooner had he done so did a raindrop meet his cheek, followed by another on his nose. His nostrils gave a twitch and he looked up disdainfully at the overcast sky as the droplets kept coming, gaining frequency into a steady sprinkle. For half a second, he deliberated on whether a nightly crime patrol was worth the dampness. Then, as he always did, he dismissed the thought and looked forward, for heroic duty always called louder than personal inconvenience.

So naturally, it started pouring.

This increase in precipitation was met with a grumble and a scowl as he shifted the sleeping bag out from under his arm. He kept walking as he unzipped and tucked into it keeping the slight slack gathered up around his shoulders so it wouldn't drag on the ground and pushed his hair back to be covered by the fabric. His arms kept the fabric wrapped closed in the front to cover his body, save for his lower legs alone which remained exposed in order to keep walking.

The few souls around to observe him were in for a strange sight. A tall, puffy, mustard yellow blob with the blandest human face imaginable and thin black legs shambling down the sidewalk in the pouring rain. Not that he cared what anyone thought of him ( _obviously_ ). This sleeping bag was warmly insulated, comfortable, lightweight, highly portable, just the right length, stain-resistant, waterproof, and, unlike his black clothing, highly visible to traffic especially in low light conditions. It was exactly what he needed. It was _perfectly practical_. (Read: he loved it. Logically, of course.)

This was the means by which he slept in reasonable comfort no matter the environmental circumstances. It had been one of the very few purchases that he had ever been fussy about, making sure it was just right. And it fulfilled its daily purpose consistently, reliably, and wonderfully. However, even while thus armed from the elements, it wasn't in his interests to put himself through more discomfort than necessary. Rain was cold. Cold was unpleasant. Unpleasant circumstances were best avoided, if logically possible.

And thus, his thoughts turned to an appropriately dry and comfortable location for waiting on a call. A few of his usual haunts came to mind, but he dismissed them, mind drawn to a particular thought he had experienced earlier that day. In the morning, at the train station. The bleak, empty station, devoid of kittens, coffee, and a particular companion. How boring that morning had been, after three straight days of the previously listed amenities. Honestly, it was leaving him feeling a little let down at the end of his week along with the weather.

His arm shifted down into his pocket and pulled up his phone, holding it close to his face with a hunched posture to keep it out of the rain. He pulled up a maps app and typed. _Suzu Café._ It had been on his mind to try that coffee again, now that he had a frame of reference for what a perfect cup tasted like courtesy of that week's shenanigans. And fortunately for him, they were open for evening hours. A few clicks and a planned route later, the phone was lowered and disappeared back beneath the yellow fabric as he marked a course for his chosen destination.

It was on the edge of his local crime patrol territory in Naruhata Ward, reasonably close to his apartment and just one train stop shy of his usual. He could stay there until they closed or he got a call, and walking home after work would be no problem. The evening train was too close to rush hour for his liking, but thankfully his off-putting appearance caused others to maintain their distance providing a comfortable bubble of avoidance around himself.

From station one to train to station two and back to the streets, he didn't remove his sleeping bag. There was no point in doing so as the rain was coming down just as hard when he stepped off the train as when he stepped on. This way he stayed warm and the only thing that got wet was his face. Aside from glancing at street signs and checking traffic at crosswalks, his eyes stayed pinned on the ground with eyelids drooped to fend off the rain. Concrete and the feet of any people approaching giving him a wide berth were, for the most part, the only sights that cross his line of vision.

His eyes lifted a bit more frequently as he approached the café's location, surveying his surroundings. He didn't patrol so often around here, but it was close enough to the shopping district that he had a vague mental map of where he was. Something about not having to get up early for work the next day made people let loose on Friday and Saturday nights which rather ironically made other people's downtime his crime rush hour, so being close to where the action would likely go down was good.

He spotted the café's storefront across the block. New, warm-colored wood, glass door, and big windows, though the wooden blinds were half down. His eyes lowered again to the stripes of the crosswalk. He turned onto the street and approached the café. He was nearly to the door when a pair of shoes entered his lowered field of vision. A woman's shoes; light brown leather ankle boots, probably waterproof if she knew what was good for them in this weather. He expected them to turn and take a path around him. Instead, they stopped right in front of the door to the café, blocking his path and forcing him to stop his own stride. Apparently going to the same place, then. He paused for her to go inside first without looking up, but the shoes stayed where they were.

" _Aizawa-san?_ "

His eyelids raised. The woman knew his name. And her voice was familiar, too. _Was it…?_ He looked up across black pants to a mid-length white raincoat, then up to a hooded face. Half-framed silver glasses and familiar blue-ringed eyes. _It was._

"Oh. Hayate-san." He didn't acknowledge it, but his gloomy spirit lifted just a little at this surprise encounter. Good to see her.

She looked caught off-guard at the sight of him. Her mouth suddenly split open into a broad smile and she quickly covered her mouth with a hand, barely holding back laughter. He looked ridiculous. Like, in a funny-sad way.

"Pffft—! …Did you forget your umbrella? Or a coat?"

He scowled at her chortling. Good feeling gone. " _No_ ," he grumbled. As if either of those items compared to his sleeping bag.

Her smile didn't go away. "You look kind of… well, it's an interesting choice for wet weather wear."

"This is a perfectly logical use for a sleeping bag," he defended. She merely chortled again at his expense.

"Well, looks warm enough, I guess. Your face is all wet, though."

He didn't bother replying, his scowl sliding to the side with eagerness to change the topic. "What are you doing here?"

Her smile was exchanged for a raised eyebrow. "Uh." She pointed slowly at the sign _. Suzu Café._ "It's a coffee shop?"

His eyes stayed pinned to the side as he mentally kicked himself for speaking without thinking. "… Right."

"… Well? You coming in?"

His scowl slid back across the concrete. Her feet had shifted as she moved to open the door, and his eyes flicked up as she held it open for him with a relaxed smile, humor at his expense having departed from her features. He let his own scowl slide away, good feeling creeping back in at the invitation as he stepped forward and through the doorway.

"… Thanks."

"Mm-mm," she murmured, following after him. "Anyway, this is quite a surprise. What are _you_ doing here?"

He didn't respond right away, pretending to be admiring the décor. The café was deeper than it was wide and modestly-sized. A booth ran down the left wall long enough for four square tables each mated with a chair backed against the walking aisle. Down the right wall were three sets of an arrangement consisting of a pair of three-seater wooden sofas with cushions and pillows facing each other over a tall rectangular coffee table. Warm-colored wood, tea-green shades, and moderate, cozy lighting. He eyed the sofas, contemplating a nap. Scratch the 'pretending'. It did look genuinely comfortable. He walked forward.

"Mm… well, it's a coffee shop _._ "

Hayate's nose scrunched at having her own words thrown back at her. "I meant what are you doing around here? Up to anything?"

He knew what she meant. It was just _far_ too much effort to explain. "Not really."

"Wanna stick around for a chat, then?"

His head turned a little, interest piqued. "Hm? You've got nowhere to be?"

"Eh, I might get some shopping done later, but that can wait. I never see you on the weekends."

Aizawa didn't look back at her, but he didn't need to in order to know that she was smiling. He could hear it in her voice. A good feeling—it was mutual. "… Sure. Sounds good." With a life as busy as his, he had long since learned to take full advantage of the little pleasantries when presented. And a Saturday evening spent in a cozy coffee shop with his usual Monday through Friday morning companion—well, there weren't any kittens in sight like usual, but he'd take it.

A booth divider on either side of the aisle separated the seating areas from the ordering section in the back of the café. Three vertical glass shelves adorned with relaxing potted plants and purchasable coffee bags resided above the dividers to further add to the seating side's atmosphere, and he crossed this threshold. There was space to stand after that in front of a glass counter which came out of the wall on the left with baked goods on display. The right corner of the shop provided the entry to behind the counter and a table with cream and such. The wall behind the counter had shelves with all manners of whole beans, counters for a roaster, coffee machines, other such goods, and a door that presumably led to the kitchen behind the scenes.

The cash register was situated slightly to the left of the aisle behind the counter; probably not in-line with it to avoid any awkward thousand-yard-stares at approaching customers coming down the aisle, though was easy to spot through the glass shelves. Aizawa stopped as he came to the counter, and Hayate moved beside him to examine the displays.

At the cash register, a petite young woman stood, either a high schooler or recently graduated judging from her youthful features. A nervous smile was plastered on her face. She had tensed up when Aizawa walked in and looked him up and down as he approached, a bit unnerved, but at the sight of the normal-looking woman conversing with him casually she eased up, reassured. Not that he noticed, for he didn't look up at her at all as he dug out his wallet.

"Good evening! What would you like, sir?"

"Tall black. No room." He tapped the coffee range chart on the counter, selecting the darkest end. "Dark roast." For a moment, he thought to say nothing more as usual. But then a new and sudden thought occurred to him. It spurred him to flick his eyes Hayate's way and ask without his usual reservation. "What size do you get?"

"Mm, tall," she replied, not looking up.

He pulled out his card and set it on the counter. "Two tall black coffees, then."

Hayate looked up sharply. "Wait, what?"

"You get it black, don't you?" He shot back nonchalantly without looking up from the coffee chart. "Probably... this one?" He pointed at the middle of the chart, glancing in Hayate's direction for confirmation.

She looked taken aback for a half a second, then smiled. "Uh—yeah, that's right, but... you don't have to do that. I was going to get something, too," she explained, pointing at the display.

"Add whatever she gets," he said without skipping a beat, looking back at the counter.

"A—Are you sure?" Hayate hesitated at his uncharacteristic generosity.

"Yeah." He turned his head slightly, glancing her way with a bit of a wry smile, his voice good-humored. "Makes for up those coffees, I'd say."

She stared at him in surprise for a moment. _I thought we already agreed that was a draw…_ What compelled someone who'd lie to get free coffee to go out of his way to buy it for someone else? _"You're a sharp one, Hayate-san."_ His genuine smile and words from the day before flashed through her mind, and suddenly it just clicked. Relenting, she relaxed and smiled with gratitude. "Well… thank you."

"Mm."

The cashier remained frozen with her fingertips on Aizawa's card for a moment, eyes flicking between him and Hayate, then slowly pulled it back into her hand, taking her time with it. Just in case they changed their minds.

"Whatever you'd like, miss."

"Ah, right." Hayate looked back down at the display case. Aizawa's eyes lingered on her, though.

She had removed her hood as she came in, and looking at her he realized something. She wasn't wearing a hat. He'd never seen her without her hat; that gray knit hat. Sure, he figured she had hair, but it was a small revelation to be seeing it for the first time in months of spotting her at the train station. It was dark purple and pulled back neatly in a low bun. Now that he was bothering to pay attention, she wasn't wearing gloves, either. And there was no obvious scarf beyond the raised collar of her raincoat. Huh.

There was nothing else to report.

"I'll have a maple nut muffin," Hayate pointed.

"Sure thing." Hayate's eyes slid over to Aizawa while the young lady bagged the muffin and set it on the counter, ran the charges up, and prepared the coffee, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Buying coffee when you could make it yourself doesn't strike me as your kind of logic. I guess this morning must have been a bit of a letdown after coffee the other days, huh?"

"Got me figured out, have you?"

She smirked at his non-answer answer. "Kind of having it late in the day, though. You a night owl?"

"Mm… a bit. You're one to talk, though."

"I did have a coffee this morning, at home. But I hadn't got the chance to try this place out yet, and I felt like having another coffee today since I had to pass by here on my way home, anyway."

"You live on this side of town?"

"No, on the other side of the shopping district. Stop in for coffee and a snack, get my groceries, then go home so my thinking went."

"Hm, logical." He glanced at her briefly as he tucked his wallet away. "What are you doing on this side of town, then?"

Hayate was silent for a few moments, thinking on the quickest way to explain. "I volunteer at Musutafu City Animal Shelter. As sort of an extension of that, I help plan and carry out community TNR programs. So I was out that way doing that today."

His head shifted her way a little more. "Oh. So cats? TNR, that's…"

"Trap, neuter, release," she supplemented. "We trapped the cats yesterday evening and took them for the surgeries this morning. Then monitoring for post-op and setting them up for overnight. We'll release them tomorrow if they're looking good, which I don't foresee any problems based on how they were looking tonight."

"Huh…" He absorbed that new information for a few moments, studying her with an appraising look. "You've got more cats in your life than I realized."

"Heh, you mean between being a vet tech, fosterer of kittens, shelter volunteer, and a stray cat wrangler? It's almost as if I like them or something."

"Sounds like they're your hobby and your day job."

"Well, one of my hobbies at least." Her eyes fixed on the counter unfocused for a moment, then she added, "And dogs too, to be fair. I like them both. Just more cats around."

His eyes shifted forward to the counter. "Meh. Guess somebody's gotta like them."

She looked back at him. "Not a dog person? Well, you don't strike me as one, I suppose."

"Too needy." He glanced her way. "So, how many cats are we talking about?"

The corners of her mouth dropped back in a bit of a grimace. "Oh, you mean the TNR? Eh." Her eyes dropped away, lips pursed slightly. "We were hoping to get as many as twelve cats in that area, _and_ we got three."

"Oh." _Not great._

She was quick to reply to his tone. "Well, it's not _terrible_. It's better than _none_ … They were all male, though, which is slightly annoying, because there were at least four females we wanted to catch. And it's the middle of kitten season, and we _know_ one of them has some older kittens, so we've got to get them, too… hfff, so now we've gotta go out again next weekend. Or actually—nah, I don't know. We were talking about setting up the traps again when we let those three loose, but with this rain… meh. It was raining like this last night, too, and only a few showed up. Soooo, apparently, they're fair-weather cats…" Her voice drifted off, eyes pinned unfocused on the counter display.

Aizawa peered at her with a sidelong look, saying nothing. Studying her expression, he was left with the impression that she was talking to herself more than she was him, venting some frustration. He understood her then. _Both_ of them were getting Saturday letdown coffees.

Hayate seemed to realize herself all of a sudden, blinking and looking back at him quickly, then smiling and saying hastily, "But that's just me and my problems! No need to dump them you."

He stirred. "Oh. Uh…" He felt himself hesitate, suddenly uncertain and caught between two impulses again. One old, and one new. _Don't care. Not my problem._ He looked away from her, down at the display again. "It's fine. I don't mind."

His words caught her attention a little, prompting a curious look from her. That was an unexpected response given his blatant disinterest in talking about her coffee hobby in the days prior. _Huh_. Maybe because it was about cats? He liked cats.

"Here you go! Enjoy." The young lady set their coffees on the counter, and Hayate looked away from him to smile at her.

"Thank you."

Hayate waited for Aizawa to take his coffee then reached for her own and the muffin. She turned and followed him as he started walking back down the aisle and silently left the choice of seating to his discretion. His eye settled on the aisle-side seat cushion of the very last sofa closest to the door; logically, if he needed to leave for a call it would be the quickest exit. Also logically, if he were to lay down on this sofa, the light from the window would cast the seats in shadow which was conducive to sleeping. He sat down, keeping his sleeping bag around himself, of course.

Hayate's eyes fell to the sofa across from him upon Aizawa blocking the other two spots on his sofa by his choice of seating. Her eyes flicked between the three seats across from him briefly before she made her pick. Aizawa wiped the water off his face with a sleeve and pulled back the hood of his sleeping bag letting his hair out, glancing up briefly as she sat down directly opposite him before his eyes dropped to his coffee cup.

This wasn't like their train station chats where the point of talking was to pass the time; here, personal interaction was the point, face-to-face. And there was no train-imposed time limit, either. She took advantage of that to unwrap her muffin in relaxed silence, unpressured to speak. Her stomach had been rather grumbly with her the last hour or two and was happy to accept her first bite of the sweet, nutty treat.

"Good muffin. Thanks again."

"Mm." He finished a sip. "Good coffee." His eyes flicked up to her, smiling very faintly. "Yours is still better, though."

She smirked a little, lifting her cup. "Is flattery a part of your next scheme?"

"Huh?" He gave her a blank look.

"To get more coffee out of me."

"Oh. Heh." His eyes dropped away with a wry grin. "Nah… I haven't got any ulterior motives." His eyes shifted her way furtively. "But, if you're saying it _would_ work…"

"Mm, no."

"Heh. I didn't so."

"… You know, if you had wanted another coffee, you could have just asked me. Instead, you went to the trouble of that whole scheme."

"Hm?" His eyelids lifted as if experiencing a revelation. "That would have worked?"

"Sure. I'd have been happy you enjoyed it."

"Huh, that so?" His eyes raised up in thought. "…To be honest, the thought didn't even cross my mind."

She shot him a flat look. "Seriously?"

He flashed a toothy smirk. "Heh. Guess I just have a lousy sense of humor."

She studied him for a moment. "… Well, I could have just accused you outright or not brought another coffee, but I wanted to see the look on your face when I caught you in a lie." Her lips spread to match his, raising her coffee close. "So I guess that means we _both_ have a lousy sense of humor."

His lips spread a bit more. "Is that so…? Huh. Say, that reminds me of something." His eyes glinted. "… _Ass_ awa, huh?"

Hayate, having just brought the coffee to her smiling lips, balked at this comment and nearly spilled the coffee down her chin instead. Fortunately, she made a quick recovery and just managed to suck the first wayward drops into her mouth with a sharp inhale between her tucked lips. However, she was not spared from the rapid reddening of her cheeks. _Crap! I was hoping he forgot about that!_

"Ah—! Gah, I knew I'd regret that! S-Sorry! It just sort of slipped out on the spot! Hahaha!" She replied hastily with an apologetic and embarrassed smile, her laughter self-deprecating but comfortable. _He looks pretty relaxed about it, though._

 _Vulnerability_. Any predator would act on it.

"Hmph, you don't sound very sorry, laughing like that," he shot back, his countenance suddenly shifting gruffly as he went on the assault.

She flinched a little, laughter dying _. Huh? Did I read him wrong?_ "A-Ah… sorry."

"It's irritating. Don't mess with my name like that."

She shrunk back slightly. "Oh, of course…"

His rough tone pressed on. "That sort of thing really rubs me the wrong way. People who do that get on my bad side. It takes a lot to get back in my good graces once you've lost them."

Her features were quite concerned now, eying his sulky, displeased expression and critical stare. _Miscalculated!_ "I… didn't mean to offend."

"It would take a whole week of coffee to get back on my good side."

Her mind went blank for a moment, processing. _Huh?_ She stared at him. He stared at her expectantly, a wry smirk slowly curling back his lip at her worried expression. It clicked, and her brows twitched together. _Oh… I did read him wrong, after all. He was just teasing._ Her eyes narrowed a flat look at him. … _Teasing in a_ _ **lousy**_ _way._ Well, two could play at that game.

She regained her composure suddenly and waved him off. " _Naaah_ , that won't do. Kasuya wouldn't stand for me taking all her beans."

"Kasuya?"

Hayate ignored the question. "We'll just have to settle this some other way," she said matter-of-factly. "How about..." She gave a grin and lifted her sweet treat. "Half a muffin?"

An incredulous look was leveled at her. "... A muffin that _I_ paid for."

"Uh-huh!" She shot back cheerily. "Might as well try it, right?" She split the muffin in half between the two napkins accompanying her pastry bag and extended the unbitten half over the table in her right hand as an offering while smiling at him. "What'dya say, _Ass_ awa-san?"

As it turned out: nothing, at first. His eyes dropped down to the offered food and he felt a hesitation again, suddenly feeling taken aback at the gesture. Two impulses, one old; one new. _Nah, no thanks_ ; _take it, snarky comeback._ This feeling bothered him because he could not label it as he pondered her words and tried to formulate a response.

Well. It was a snappy comeback she made, just like the day before. And that "nickname" again. Normally, he would have found such a thing irritating had a stranger said it, just as he told her. Instead, he felt amused again. And at the offered muffin... that unusually good feeling again. Comfortable. Familiar. His eyes sharpened.

 _Oh_. It clicked. _That's what it is._ This uncommonly good feeling he had. Buying her coffee. Listening to her frustrations. The teasing. It all felt so… _normal_. And he acknowledged then that the good feeling and the ease between them was rooted in their interactions these past weeks and culminated in their exchanges in the last few days.

 _"My logical ruse was a complete success." "I wouldn't quite say that… I'd call that a draw." A kitten and a half for each of them. That was fair. "You too,_ Ass _awa-san!"_

Her 'ruse within a ruse'; the humor she had caused him; her matching his cunning on equal terms; and the surprising twists of her personality. At that moment, a bridge had been crossed, the first budding of a closer relationship. Buying coffee for, half-heartedly listening to all manner of problems, sharing a comfortable rapport—he did these things with his _friends_ , not his acquaintances. That's right. And people shared food with people they liked well enough, not just anyone. This good feeling, this change, was mutual.

The label shifted in his mind, and he slowly smiled as he settled on a response. His right hand departed from the coffee in his left and started to reach across the table for the muffin as he gave a light chuckle.

"Hm-hmph… I'd say that's—"

 _Bzzzzz! Bzzzzz! Bzzzz!_

Hayate's smile dropped slightly, attention caught. _Hm? A phone?_ A momentary check of logic assured her that it wasn't hers, and her eyes dropped to somewhere unseen within Aizawa's sleeping bag where her ears detected the persistent vibration emanating from.

 _Bzzzzz! Bzzzzz! Bzzzz!_

She expected him to move to take what was presumably a phone call, but his hand remained where it was suspended in the air over the table, frozen partway to the muffin she offered. His chin had dropped slightly, hair hiding his eyes in shadow.

 _Bzzzzz! Bzzzzz! Bzzzz!_

For a moment, he considered not checking his phone, waiting for a few minutes, and enjoying the chat a bit longer. But then, as always, he dismissed the notion from his mind. Personal inconvenience meant nothing to a Pro when presented with duty and a call to action. Thus, it started pouring. And thus, of course, it interrupted his surprise Sunday coffee chat before it could barely begin, forcing him to abandon his coffee and… friend. But would he complain about the dampness? Would he postpone responding until after his cup was empty? No. Of course not. It was a real drag, but that was just what a Pro had to do.

His hand pulled back from the muffin and disappeared inside his sleeping bag. He withdrew the persistently alerting device and brought it before his eyes as he checked the short description of the hero alert. His eyes sharpened.

Hayate startled as he stood up suddenly.

"I have to go."

"Huh?" She looked up at him bewilderedly as he turned into the aisle. "O-Oh, uh, heading off somewhere?"

He paused briefly. "I've got to go... do something." No time to explain.

"Uh, okay…?" Her perplexed eyes flicked to the table. "Oh wait! You left your coffee," she pointed out, starting to reach for it where he had set it down.

"I'll come back for it later." He was at the door, pulling his sleeping bag up over his head again. "Don't worry about waiting for me." The door opened and he started to step through, then paused. He glanced back over his shoulder.

"See you Monday, Hayate-san."

She looked at him uncertainly, still clearly bewildered. "… Right. See you later, Aizawa-san."

His head turned straight and he exited the café leaving Hayate to stare at the pouring rain until the door closed. Her eyes then dropped to the offered but untaken muffin in her hand and then to his abandoned coffee cup feeling extremely confused. _But he just got here._

She shifted forward a little to set the muffin on its napkin down on the table, then she rested on her elbows with her freed hand coming to her lip in thought with eyes still pinned on his cup. _He left so quickly, too. That phone call—well, no, he didn't answer it, did he? Pager, then? Something._ Her brow furrowed. _I hope it wasn't an emergency, but that would make the most sense for such a hasty exit._

She sat motionless for a bit, her mind going still. The room suddenly felt chilled with the disappointment of his departure, or was it the draft from the door? Whatever the cause, it put a damper on the good feeling she'd gotten with this surprise encounter. Eventually, she took in a breath and let it out with a huff, then straightened and looked away from his coffee cup. _So much for enjoying a leisurely chat._ _Well, no point in moping about it._

Hayate lifted her half of muffin and finished it quickly in silence. It was a very good muffin; maple sweetness balanced with nuttiness. She took a sip of coffee to wash down her final bite. Definitely good coffee, too. This was a nice café. She'd come back.

She scrunched up her used napkin and looked down at the muffin half she had set aside for Aizawa. Reaching for the pastry bag, she slid the muffin into it and folded over the top. _Well, guess I'll get going._ Her eyes flicked to Aizawa's coffee and she picked it up along with her own and the muffin, then stood up. Instead of heading for the exit, though, she turned to the back of the café. The young lady at the counter was sitting on a stool reading a book but quickly took notice as Hayate approached and set it aside with a smile as she stood.

"Hi," Hayate started. "Um… kind of an odd request, perhaps, but the man I was with had a personal emergency come up. He'll be back for these in a bit, he said." She lifted her left hand, which held his coffee and muffin. "I wouldn't want them to get thrown out in the meantime, though… can you keep them here?"

"Oh, sure!" She replied at once, tilting her head a little to cast an assessing gaze around the café. "It's no problem. We're really slow right now, anyway. All this rain."

"Thanks! Yeah, it's really coming down out there." Hayate set down the coffee and muffin, though her eyes lingered on the book the woman had set on the counter. It was face down with the spine facing away from her. "What sort of book are you reading?"

"Hm? Oh." She picked it up so Hayate could see the title and cover "It's a suspense thriller. Um, so this woman takes the same train every day, and when the train stops at the signal she sees this same couple all the time out on their deck, and she watches them just, you know, out of curiosity. But then one morning she sees the couple… well, she witnesses something shocking that she shouldn't have seen which makes her go to the police, and from there she gets sucked into the investigation and, well, you know, the story gets exciting." Her smile grew enthusiastically. "I'm really enjoying it."

 _Huh_. A woman seeing the same people every day on the train. _That's almost creepy._ Hayate smiled. "Seems like you're enjoying the time to read the rain's giving you. I like a lot of different book genres; might have to check that one out."

"Well, I really recommend it."

Hayate turned away from the counter with just her coffee in hand. "Try to stay dry."

"Thank you! Oh, and I hope you have better luck with those cats next time. They sound well-cared for."

Hayate paused, looking back again with a warm smile. "Thanks! We'll do our best."

Her face shifted forward again and she walked back down the aisle to the exit, pulling up her hood with her free hand. When she opened the door, she was met with a blustery gust of rain. Droplets splattered across her lenses leaving blurred spots in her vision and her eyelids dropped in a mildly annoyed look as she left the café and pulled the cords of her hood a little tighter. _I like the rain, but I could do without that._

Hayate's hands curled around her coffee, using the cup to keep them warm as she started walking. The shopping district was next on her agenda. _Let's see, groceries. What do I need…?_ She occupied her rainy walk with sorting out her list mentally, time passing by uneventfully and quietly save for the sound of rain pelting the concrete and roofs of buildings. So it was that when the first eerie rising of a siren's high-pitched call brushed against her ears that it caught her attention.

Distant at first, but moving fast. A police siren she discerned after it came closer. And closer. Her ears told her it would pass by soon, and her eyes agreed as she watched a handful of cars on the road pull off to the sides. Her head turned slightly as the Doppler effect intensified, and the police car rushed past her with sprays of water trailing the tires. She watched it go on ahead of her, silently tracking its path before it moved out of sight into the distance. _Huh. Could be going to the shopping district._ She pondered it for only a moment then carried on.

It was just a few minutes of walking to the shopping district. However, Suze Café was not in line with the store that she needed. Thus, upon reaching the main shopping district streets, she followed them along towards her intended destination.

But Hayate would not reach this destination uninterrupted. As she turned onto the appropriate street, her eyes caught upon the flashing blues and red in the distance through the rain. Farther down a few blocks there seemed to be quite a showing of law enforcement; three police cars and one ambulance. For a moment, she hesitated at this sight.

She was naturally inclined to be wary of drawing too near to such a situation. Her eyes roamed across the next couple of blocks, thinking over her options as she squinted at street signs through the pouring rain and abundant reflections glistening from the building, street, and emergency vehicle lights. But it was with this wandering eye that her gaze fell across something that she did not expect to see.

Illuminated by the watery reflections of the shopping district lights and backlit by the flashing red and blues of the emergency vehicles, something stood out to her eyes in the middle of the road a little more than a block ahead of her. Normally she would have overlooked this thing, crumpled up and motionless as it was and given the pouring rain; if it hadn't been for its color. Hayate's eyes widened a little in recognition.

It was a bright yellow sleeping bag, and its owner was nowhere to be seen.

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 **I just happened to see the book the barista was reading while browsing and thought it was a hilariously relatable premise to Meow's, so slipping it in just felt natural. _The Girl on the Train_ by Paula Hawkins is the referenced book for those who wish to know.**


	7. Yellow is the Color of Friendship

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It took Hayate only a moment to string the circumstances before her together and formulate a plausible hypothesis. The sleeping bag was in the middle of the road. The pouring rain and evening lighting reduced visibility. An ambulance accompanied the police cars. She could not see Aizawa anywhere on the streets, and he would certainly never abandon it in the road by choice. Logically, the first thought that came jolting into her mind was: _did he get hit by a car?_

All thoughts of taking a detour around the incident were dismissed from her mind. Hayate's pace quickened until she was perpendicular to the sleeping bag, then she stopped and set her coffee cup down on the sidewalk and checked for traffic. She watched a car pass veering wide to cautiously avoid the sleeping bag, then all was clear for her to trot out into the road. As soon as her hands took hold of the bag, she could tell it was soaking wet. She quickly made her way safely back onto the sidewalk with the waterlogged garment before she lifted it up for inspection.

Its positioning on the ground had been with the inside face down on the concrete. Feeling around the fabric, she confirmed that it was nearly as thoroughly wet on the inside as on the outside as a result. She brushed away bits of debris from trees and dirt, her brow furrowed. She looked up at the emergency vehicles and adjusted the sleeping bag properly so that the outside was facing the rain despite the futility of this action and folded the water-laden fabric over her left arm, then picked up her coffee in her right and started heading directly for the flashing lights.

Every day she had ever seen him, he had carried this sleeping bag. It was important to him. An emergency responder unfamiliar with him would not know this, which would explain it being left behind. Should her hypothesis be correct, it was important to make sure his possession was given to them, and if this could not be done, then it would not be hard for her to keep it temporarily and return it to him in the morning whenever he was able to depending on his injuries. And if her hypothesis wasn't correct, then at the very least he would appreciate not having it beset by cars and the elements wherever he happened to be.

The emergency scene came into focus as she approached and slowed her steps. Her eyes scanned it from one side to the other. She took stock of two paramedics blocking the view of a seated man in civilian clothing at the back of the ambulance and four visible police officers, one standing apart from the others talking to two worried-looking civilian women by a police car and the other three roughly surrounding a large man with what seemed to be quills for hair both on his head and over most of his body all wrapped up in—

Her eyes stopped there and her feet froze. Wrapped up in a gray scarf. She knew that scarf. Why was it here? A fraction of a moment later her eyes left the restrained man and followed the scarf's tail to where it led beside him.

It would be easy to overlook the slim man standing in the shadow of the perpetrator. He blended in with the scene thanks to his black clothing, the pouring rain, and the dozen other more eye-catching things going on around him. But that man with his characteristic slouch and scruffy look was without a doubt Aizawa. His hands held the scarf end firmly preventing any slack, though the captured man seemed a bit too bruised and dispirited to put up any resistance. Aizawa was talking actively with one of the police officers who took notes while the other two readied police capture braces, though his eyes seemed barely interested in lifting high enough to meet the officer's gaze as they were drooped to fend off the rain.

Hayate's brow furrowed in complete confusion. _What is he doing?_ Doing here? Talking to the police? Restraining that man? _With a scarf?_ It defied all reason. She had walked up with a preconceived notion of him to be the one in some kind of trouble, and instead, she got... _this_.

She stared at him uncomprehendingly, trying to puzzle out the scene before her. _The man wrapped up in the scarf—the police are restraining him. He's a criminal, then? And Aizawa-san, he's holding him in place, from before the police arrived, it seemed... did he see the crime and intervene? A Good Samaritan? If that's the case... then this sleeping bag was in the road because he dropped it to stop that man?_

The restraint device was readied and the officers gave Aizawa the signal to release his hold on the man. Hayate watched with fascination as his hair and scarf suddenly lifted with a red flash from his eyes. His hair levitated against gravity and the rain while the scarf seemingly moved of its own volition. It slid in a smooth transition from the body of the criminal to its usual place around Aizawa's neck settling like a snake coiled around its favorite branch. The red glint of his eyes disappeared as he closed them with his hair and scarf returning to normal.

The officers proceeded to restrain the criminal at once while Aizawa continued listening to the note-taking officer. His sopping wet hair had fallen across his eyes though, and the soaked, dripping strands seemed to cause him some annoyance. His right hand lifted to his face, fingers spread to comb back his hair, and he started to sweep it back out of his eyes. A subconscious movement accompanied this action; a slight lifting of his head and a drifting of his eyes. And in doing so, his eyes caught upon something that made him freeze mid-action.

Yellow had appealed to him because it made him highly visible in low-light conditions, unlike his clothing, making it a safer option when he wanted to be seen. Now, that same yellow stood out like a beacon to his own eyes. The world might as well as well have faded to darkness with a spotlight shown on his yellow sleeping bag for how shocked he was to see it gathered neatly over the arm of Hayate. His gaze shifted up a small degree to her face, and their eyes met. She was definitely watching him.

 _... Shit._

He stared for a moment then blinked and looked away at once, completing the action with his hair then tucking his hand into his pocket. His eyes shifted to the police officer and didn't look back at her. He'd deal with... _that_ , later, but right now he still had a job to do that demanded his full attention.

Hayate's eyes didn't leave Aizawa's when he looked away and carried on replying to the police officer. His message was clear enough to her: her presence had been acknowledged, but he had to attend to the current situation first. This then posed an important question to Hayate: what would she do now?

It was clear her initial fear had not been the case. Instead, this scene posed far more questions than she had thought would need answering in the first place. Was it her business to ask? She really was just a gawking bystander here. Also, it was unclear how long it would take for him to be done, and in the meantime, she would be standing in the pouring rain waiting.

But watching him, it occurred to Hayate that he too was standing in the pouring rain. And unlike her, he was not wearing a raincoat. Even at her distance observing through the deluge, she could tell he was drenched with his clothing and hair pressed flat to him, clinging to his body. The one item that he had to cover himself, his sleeping bag, he had cast off in the street. And yet even with his sleeping bag just a short distance away, in his line of sight even, he did not ask for it. He attended to some sort of emergency without any acknowledgment of his discomfort, seeing it through to the end.

It felt wrong to leave when he was in that state while she had the comfort of her raincoat. Holding onto his sleeping bag to keep it off the ground until he was finished was just a small thing she could do for him... not to mention getting a few questions answered on her part. Her eyes flicked to the side where a building had an overhang offering protection over its storefront which consisted of two broad windows and a glass door, and she started walking.

Hayate stepped out of the rain under the overhang and turned to watch Aizawa from this dry vantage point, light from the shop's windows at her back. It was only a short distance from where she'd been standing when he saw her. He seemed to just be watching on as the criminal was loaded into a police vehicle, still talking with the other officer. Her eyes flicked down to the sleeping bag, her arms shifting. She took a sip of her coffee and knelt slightly to set it on the sidewalk then spread the fabric out between her hands for another examination under the light. _Well, might as well give him a hand with this while I wait._

She confirmed grimly that the interior was just as thoroughly soaked as previously noted during her brief inspection on the street, and she brushed away some more bits of debris that weren't obvious before. Just the hood and the area around the feet had dry patches along with the odd wrinkle here or there as the cupped shape of the fabric at either end had helped keep some of the nooks and crannies out of the street runoff. _No good. This is seriously wet._ Her brow furrowed in a studious frown, experience guiding her hands.

Starting at one end of the bag, she started to squeeze out as much of the moisture as she could handling the fabric carefully and not ringing it, for a wet bag was easier to tear by mistake _. Huh… this seems like a high-quality material._ She observed the water beading and running off the outside of the bag. _The outer layer is obviously waterproof. Pricier material or just DIY coating?_ Meticulously, she worked her way down to the foot of the bag making sure not to get the dry areas wet with the drip she squeezed out. As she came to the end and squeezed out the last of the moisture she could get, she eyed the bag's tag and brought it closer for inspection curiously. Surprise immediately overtook her features.

 _What the—_ _ **Heron**_ _brand?!_

It had never occurred to her that someone as scruffy and drab as him (not to mention seemingly stingy based on his choice of coffee) would be napping away his mornings on the train in a top-of-the-line brand sleeping bag. Electronically-welded seams for maximum repelling of water along with the zipper positioning; advanced synthetic fabrics and natural down with layers for hydrophobic design, insulation, and breathability ensuring condensation control, comfort, and protection in low temperatures; interior pockets for storage, a non-sticking zipper, and a surprisingly lightweight; among other specifications, with the manufacturing process putting it on par with the elite designs of hero support companies. It was certainly a sleeping bag brand line that was on a lot of overnight campers' list of dream bags with a price tag to match.

 _And he just left it lying in the road?!_

Before disbelief could overtake her features, Hayate heard two footfalls and caught sight of motion with her periphery vision spurring her to look up. Her eyes traveled up over a pair of black boots to black pants, then to a black belt with an equally black shirt, before at last reaching a gray scarf and mop of black hair surrounding Aizawa's pale face. All of it, sopping wet. The man had stepped in under the cover of the storefront but a puddle was already forming around his boots. Her blue eyes met his black ones and found a guarded look in them that she was unprepared for.

Aizawa hadn't spared her a single glance more after his initial acknowledgment until the police had taken the villain into custody and finished asking him questions. His heroic duties fulfilled, he dismissed himself with his eyes returning immediately to the spot where he had seen Hayate last. She was not there anymore, but a brief glance around had quickly located her under the cover of the nearby storefront. As he made a straight course for her through the pouring rain, he observed her handling his sleeping bag in a spread-out, indicative manner that made him almost cringe in dread.

 _Oh jeez, I hope she's not ringing it out._

He picked up his pace. That would be one hell of a way to damage a perfect sleeping bag. Fortunately, as he came closer, he could see that she was just gathering up the fabric and squeezing it, not ringing it, and he gave a mental sigh of relief. That mini-crises averted, his mind turned to focusing on the task at hand, that of what to say to her about what she had just seen.

Honestly, this was a lot more hassle than he wanted to deal with. He was already feeling like a drowned rat and probably didn't look much better than one, either. Cold, wet, uncomfortable, irritated at that villain, and annoyed because this incident made him drop his sleeping bag suddenly and that would be a bitch to tend do—it was barely the start of the night, and now he had to sort this surprise encounter out, too. He pulled his phone out and resolutely muted the pro hero line, rescinding his earlier decision that personal inconvenience was no excuse; he'd paid his dues with this incident. Heroic duty could shove off for one night of cumulative circumstances.

He jammed the phone back into his pocket before it could get any damper and add to his problems then stepped under the shelter of the store's overhang. He stopped in front of Hayate still wracking his tense brain yet no closer to deciding on what to say than when he started to walk over.

She gave a bit of a start and looked up at him quickly; she didn't seem to have noticed him approaching, her eyes focused on the sleeping bag. Her blue-ringed eyes met his and seemed startled into hesitation at the intimidating expression which betrayed his unsettled mind; an expression he did not realize he was making. For a moment, the two stood staring at each other in awkward silence. But then she recovered, and perhaps instinctually, she responded with a softer expression and relaxed, even tone.

"I… saw your sleeping bag in the road. When I didn't see you anywhere, and I saw the ambulance… I picked it up for you since I thought you might be hurt." His eyes widened, mind going still.

Her eyes shifted to the side. "Um, though that's clearly not the case… anyway."

Her eyes shifted to the sleeping bag as she held out to him. "The inside got all wet from being on the ground. I squeezed as much of the water out as I could, but it'll take a lot of time to hang dry… a laundromat would be faster, maybe a few hours—uh, though I'm sure you know how to take care of it."

She was treading carefully with her words keeping them straightforward and explanatory, not sure what to make of his hard eyes. They hit their mark. A seed of calm was planted in his mind, and logic resumed its natural control over his thoughts. His irritable mood was due to no fault of hers, and he responded accordingly with the tension of his body and expression easing at once into neutrality.

He reached for the offered sleeping bag and took it out of her hands. "… Thank you." His voice was quiet with an even tone.

"You're welcome." She looked at the bag as he shifted it over his left shoulder, then her eyes flicked back to his. He looked calmer all of a sudden, and that reassured her. She thought for a moment, then proceeded. "So, uh… that 'something' you had to do was…?" She looked over at the crime scene, her eyes finishing her sentence.

He followed her gaze with his right hand coming up to rub his neck, thinking. "… You were going to go shopping tonight, right?"

She blinked at the change in topic. "Uh… yeah?"

"I'd rather not take up your time. It's getting late enough as it is, and this weather is miserable."

"Oh, I see what you mean… It's alright, it's not an inconvenience. I can go shopping tomorrow. I have the day off."

His posture didn't budge, eyes still on the scene. "Hm… to be honest, I don't feel like talking right now." He looked away to his sleeping bag, giving it a nudge. "And I've got to take care of this." He looked back at her. "So in that case, if you could meet tomorrow instead? To talk?" Based on his current mood and her availability, that was a rational solution.

Hayate thought it over for a few moments then nodded. "That would work fine for me… How about at the café? Suzu Café?"

"Sure."

"I remember reading they close at two-thirty on Sundays. Since I'll be releasing those cats tomorrow… how about we meet before then? Would nine work, or maybe ten?"

"Nine is fine." Aizawa suddenly turned away, his right hand withdrawing from his neck and slipping back into his pocket. "I'll see you then."

Hayate looked startled. _Wha—? That was kind of brief._ "You're leaving?"

"Yeah." He glanced back. "Unless there's something else?"

"Uh…" She looked away, slightly unnerved. _Er… I guess not._ Her eyelids lifted with a spark of memory. "Oh! Don't forget your coffee."

"Hm…? Oh." He had left that at the café, hadn't he? _Probably cold by now. Just one more thing to make my night._ His head turned forward again and he stepped out into the rain. "Later."

"Right… bye." Hayate watched him go quickly into the rain with the sleeping bag slung over his shoulder. He didn't seem to even bother considering pulling it around himself as it would do no good at this point.

 _"To be honest, I don't feel like talking right now."_

Based on that hasty exit, she believed him completely. _He's probably feeling pretty terrible right now. He looks soaked to the bone, and that sleeping bag isn't of much use in that state._ She leveled a sympathetic at his back for a number of seconds, then she looked away and turned her head in the direction of the emergency scene. The ambulance and one of the police cars had pulled away without her noticing. She watched for a moment, then she adjusted the collar on her raincoat's hood and stepped out into the rain pulling her eyes away from the scene and in the direction of her intended destination.

 _That's alright. Whatever he wants to talk about… there's something important about him that I'm missing, but I can wait._ Hayate cast a glance over her shoulder at the man with the yellow sleeping bag. _If nothing else, I hope you sleep well tonight._

Aizawa did not spare a glance back, his eyes pinned to the ground in front of his feet with eyelids stooped and shoulders hunched against the weather while the soggy sleeping bag clung to his shoulder. The look in his eyes revealed his displeasure with the situation. But at least he had bought himself some time to address his other more pressing concern: Hayate.

It wasn't so long ago that he wouldn't have considered telling her at all. A part of him still wanted to just brush off the incident. However, it simply wasn't logical to keep a friend completely out of the loop, no matter how young the trust of their friendship was. Better to tell her now than to wait until it came up some other way, and then she'd feel annoyed for being kept in the dark to such a basic fact of his life. _But what to say?_

His wound-up brain ground to a halt and he let out a huff. Never mind. He was too irritated and impatient at the moment. He had time to figure this out later. That was the most rational thing to do. Aizawa shoved aside the dilemma from his mind and settled on blank, tranquil thoughts until he arrived back at the café and pulled open the door.

Stepping inside out of the rain, his eyes went straight for the table where he had left his coffee. He came to a stop when he saw that it wasn't there. _… Guess it got thrown out._ For a few moments, he didn't move, just staring with a dead look at the empty table with water trickling down his face and clothing onto the floor. _…Should have figured that would happen, just leaving it there._ He gave a sigh and started to turn back to the doorway. _Well. Time to go home—_

"Oi, sir! Just a minute!"

 _Hm?_ He stopped and looked to the back of the shop, finding the young barista waving at him.

"You're here for your coffee, right? I've got it back here."

A tiny bit of miserable weight rolled off his shoulders. Okay, so at least tonight was going to give him one small relief. He walked silently to the back of the café with his head still stooped and eyes not meeting hers. She watched him approach with her brow scrunching as she assessed his soggy appearance.

"… Are you alright, sir?"

"… Fine."

She hesitated for a moment at his dead response, then forcibly brightened her expression as she turned to the counter behind her. "Your friend wanted to make sure you'd get it." She turned back with the coffee and a pastry bag in hand, setting them on the counter in front of him. "We've got a heating tray, so your coffee's still warm."

 _Hayate brought it back here?_ His right hand settled around the cup, warmth seeping into his cold skin. _Ah._ Another small relief. "… Thanks." His eyes flicked to the bag. "… What's this?"

"Your friend left this, too. Probably the half of her muffin she offered you."

 _Offered?_ His brain gave a twitch, but he was distracted by the thought of Hayate offering him the muffin half with a smile to think about it. It made him feel just another little bit better as he picked up the pastry bag.

He slowly turned and started to walk away. The young woman watched him go, her cheery exterior slipping away at the sight of his glum disposition. _He looked like a weirdo when he came in the first time._ Her eyes flicked to the obviously soaked sleeping bag, recalling his bundled appearance. _… Well, actually, he still looks like a weirdo. But at least he seemed content then. Now he just looks miserable._ A spark of inspiration flashed through her eyes. _That won't do!_

"One more thing, sir!"

Aizawa stopped and turned slightly, a questioning look in his eyes. She had turned back to the door at the back of the store, holding up a finger. "Wait there just a minute." Without waiting for a reply, she pushed open the door and disappeared. Aizawa waited, watching the door close with mild curiosity. After several seconds had passed, the door opened again. There was a towel in her arm as she reappeared.

She looked at him with a smile and held it out to him over the counter. "Here! Go ahead and dry off."

Understanding entered his eyes. "Ah." He looked down at his boots. "Is this your way of saying I'm getting your floor wet?"

The smile vanished, traded for a startled, caught-off-guard look. "What? No! … Well, technically, yes… never mind!" She looked exasperated for a moment then pulled herself together with another smile. "You just look so uncomfortable. I can't have a customer of mine looking like that."

His eyes widened slightly, then softened. "… Oh. I see. Thanks, but there's no point." He thumbed a hand over his shoulder at the street exit. "I'll just get wet again."

She flapped the towel at him. "No, you aren't! Take this, too." Her other arm _swooshed_ down across the counter extending an umbrella in offering.

He looked at the item. "You have customer umbrellas?"

"No, this is my personal umbrella. But it's alright." Her eyes gained a glint. "You'll just have to come back for another coffee so you can return it."

Aizawa stared at her. _… Huh._ He'd give her a point for honesty. Well, it's not as if she could know that he was coming back _tomorrow_ to meet Hayate. "… Hm, that's some business scheme you've got there." He pointed at the umbrella questioningly. "But what if I just keep the umbrella?"

Her eyes got squinty. "You'd have to be a _really_ lousy guy to steal a woman's umbrella. Especially when she's just been nice to you."

 _Lousy?_ His brain gave another twitch, but her solidly calling his bluff with the shot at his integrity distracted him. "… Hm. Guess you're right. But if I've got your umbrella today, then you'll get wet instead."

"Nah, I brought a rain jacket, too. Besides, I'll just share my husband's umbrella when he comes by tonight."

Aizawa's eyelids lifted up all the way at that. _HUSBAND?_ He gave her a solid look for the first time. Petite frame; light auburn hair with one large, long curled bang framing each side of her round face with short bangs between and the rest pulled back in an updo hairstyle; large sparkly brown eyes; an earnest smile with dimples; youthful fair skin. Gosh, he _hoped_ she was older than she appeared, which was to say a late-teenager. Well, not that it was any of his business what other people did with their lives.

She flapped the towel at him again, urging him. "Go on! Take it!"

He blinked and looked down at the towel. After a moment of considering his options, he conceded and reached for the towel. "Alright…" The coffee and pastry bag were set back on the counter so that he could unfold the towel with both hands.

She watched on with a look of satisfaction. _That's right! No matter how odd he looks, he's still a valued customer._ As he dried off his face, her eyes fell to the sleeping bag on his shoulder. As wet as the rest of him and dripping water on the floor.

"What happened to your sleeping bag?"

"It fell on the ground. Inside got wet."

"What about your raincoat?"

"Don't carry one."

"What about an umbrella?"

"No."

"You've got no backup! Why not?"

"Just another thing to carry," came his muffled and disinterested reply as he toweled his hair, face hidden.

"Hmph," she set her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her hands with an unsympathetic look. "Well, then I guess that miserable look is your own fault."

His hands paused and lowered the towel to level a flat stare at her through his messed-up hair. He was so not in the mood for this. "… Don't you think that's kind of a scathing thing to say to your clientele?"

She didn't bat an eye, sending a beaming smile right back at him. "It's my honest thoughts! That's the kind of rapport we want to have here."

"..." He brought the towel up again without a reply. No point in arguing with someone about that. He was too tired for a rebuttal, anyway. He finished toweling the ends of his hair to a satisfactory degree then lowered it from his hair and set it on the counter. "… Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Aizawa picked up his coffee and pastry bag then turned away again. The barista watched him go, a frown on her face. _Good grief! He still doesn't look any happier! I can't have him leaving here looking so glum. People will see him and think the coffee's bad!_ She thought for a few moments, then a new idea sparked to life in her eyes and she called out to his retreating back.

"I know! You seem like a cat person to me. Maybe you should ask your friend to bring you some cats. That ought to cheer you up!"

Aizawa stopped. _Cats_? Another twitch, but this time it was insistent enough to stick. _Wait a minute._ He peered over his shoulder, studying her glowing smile for a suspicious moment. Offered. Lousy. Cats. _… Was she eavesdropping on us?_

She didn't seem bothered by his lengthy, squinted stare. He slowly turned away. "… Maybe."

His friend _did_ bring him cats to cheer him up on a nearly daily basis; not that she could know that since they didn't speak about it here today. … _Huh_. _Just a coincidence._ Aizawa started walking away faster than before. He was getting a weird vibe from this lady.

She watched him go with her smiling falling in defeat. _Aaaagh! That didn't work either!_ _He didn't even crack a smile._ She watched him exit the door with a sigh, resting her chin heavily on her hands. _Maybe I need to work on my marketing technique…_

Aizawa exited the café lifting the umbrella as he did so and undoing the strap. He pushed it open balancing his items carefully and was about to raise it when he caught sight of the pattern and made a face. The umbrella was black with white silhouettes of falling cartoon cats and dogs. Umbrellas were for rain. Cats. Dogs. _Raining cats and dogs._

His head bowed with hair covering his eyes, cringing as he lifted the umbrella over his head gingerly. It was exactly the sort of ridiculous pun that Mic would love. Forget even joking about stealing this; he needed to get rid of it before he was caught with it.

 _Just one night._ He started walking fast. _Just going to use it for one night, then give it back to her tomorrow._

Fortunately for Aizawa, no one he knew saw him all the way back to his apartment. As soon as he was under the cover of the building, the umbrella was dropped and shook thoroughly then folded up. His house key was fished out of a pocket and then into his apartment he stepped.

His wet boots were discarded quickly and neatly, and then his Capturing Weapon animated to hang itself on a rack by the door to dry properly with the umbrella beside it. The sleeping bag was carefully set down in the entryway for the moment, and then the coffee and muffin set aside on a counter.

He trudged to a closet and pulled out a large drying rack then set it up with mechanical familiarity before returning to the entryway to haul the bag over. This certainly wasn't the first time he'd had a wet sleeping bag over his years out in the field and likely wouldn't be the last; though that didn't make it any less annoying.

Once it was laid out smoothly on the rack and off the floor it was a lot easier to assess the damage, and thus this was what Aizawa proceeded to do. He hadn't adjusted it from the double-fold that Hayate had passed it to him in until now. As he started to spread open the interior side, Aizawa suddenly went still.

A scent had grazed his nostrils. Faint, yet hazily familiar like a distant memory. It had been a long while since he had smelled it last; the first time he had seen Hayate.

 _Hurried footsteps, coming closer and closer… He didn't open his eyes. Didn't care. But scarcely a moment after the runner passed by, something did catch his attention. A scent._

And again, the first time he had talked to her.

 _She dashed as fast as one could while carefully holding a cat carrier, passing by Aizawa's right shoulder with an exasperated huff. It was only a brief moment, but as she did so she brought that scent with her, brushing his senses with the same electric jolt as before…_

She had been handling the sleeping bag, of course, squeezing the water out thoroughly all along the bag. That was no doubt how the scent had transferred. He remained still for a moment then proceeded with spreading out the fabric. No need to dwell on it. But it didn't let him forget about it.

 _It smelled amazing. Pleasant, sweet, and fresh; like baking desserts, vanilla, or fruit… But not them. Something better._

The scent was a lot more subtle this time, brushing his senses with a feather-light touch long since dissipated from its source. And yet… _Hayate._ He could picture her face clearly. It made him think of her immediately. He hadn't smelled anyone else with that scent, so of course, he'd think of her… logically? She certainly was a good judge of perfume. Probably helped cover up less-than-appealing animal smells at work. Logically.

There was something soothing about it, perhaps because his memories of her were positive, he reasoned. It lingered on like some pleasant background distraction as he continued assessing the sleeping bag; spreading it out, finding dirty spots, and tending to them. It was a nice surprise to find it mostly clean. A few testing squeezes of the fabric didn't yield any significant moisture to wring out, either.

 _"The inside got all wet from being on the ground. I squeezed as much of the water out as I could."_

 _Hayate…_ _did a good job with it._ Now that he thought back on it, she had been standing there waiting for him for a number of minutes. _She didn't have to do that._

 _"I picked it up for you, since I thought you might be hurt."_

She had been going shopping that evening. It must have been chance that she saw his sleeping bag and the crime scene. She stopped for his sake, just on the possibility of his injury. Stood waiting for him. She could have just left it there in the road, or under the cover of that storefront. But she waited to give it to him directly like a proper friend would. His hands slowed to a stop.

And he had left her with a simple 'thank you', a curt exit, and not even a single spared glance.

 _…_ _Huh. In hindsight, that was kind of a lousy thing to do._ The more he thought about it, the greater his sense that he was in the wrong towards her and needed to make it up somehow. His hands still hadn't started moving again, eyes fixed with an unfocused stare on his sleeping bag. _What should I say to her…?_ The persistent thought of her brought on by her scent was quiet but nagging, insistently taking over the forefront of his mind. _Hayate…_

Suddenly, he pulled away from the bag with a little shake of his head as if to shake the thoughts loose. _Ridiculous. I'll tell her the most logical way, of course._ He stepped away. _Jeez, there's no need to be so anxious about this. It's very simple. I'm still tense, clearly._

His eyes drifted around the room then settled on the coffee and muffin bag. He was still for a moment, then he made his way over to them. _A warm coffee, a bite to eat, and a hot bath. That ought to do it. Seriously, why am I still in these wet clothes? This isn't rational at all._ His head already felt a bit clearer as the coffee hit his tongue with long, slow sips. His eyes shifted to the pastry bag.

 _"... A muffin that_ I _paid for." "Uh-huh!" "Might as well try it, right?"_

The bag crinkled as he unrolled it and slipped his hand in, taking out the halved pastry. He lowered the coffee and took a bite.

 _"What'dya say,_ Ass _awa-san?" "Hm-hmph… I'd say that's—"_

 _A good muffin._ He took another bite. _And a good deal._ His eyes flicked around his empty, silent apartment. _… Well, would have been, had I stuck around._ He swallowed and took another bite. _Hm. Tomorrow's my day off as well. There won't be any interruptions._ He'd make both of his hasty exits up to her with a proper chat.

Aizawa finished the rest of the muffin quickly and in silence, then chased it down with the rest of the coffee. Too tired to bother with throwing away the remains of his light meal, he shambled at once to the bathroom peeling off his soaked, clingy shirt like a second skin as he walked, eager to be rid of it.

In short order, he undressed, washed off, and then slipped into the bath. The heat of the water was a far cry from the chilling rain that had soaked through to his skin and he welcomed it with a sigh as he submerged up to his chin. Now, this was a sensible way to end an irritating evening. He tilted his head back to rest it with his eyes closing. Over the next several minutes, his mind eased into a tranquil and quiet state with all thoughts slipping away and the tension draining out of his body's muscles.

After he had thus relaxed for a sufficient period of time, his eyes opened partially and out of the silence of the room and his mind, a single thought came forward: Hayate. _Now then, the most rational way to proceed..._

It simply wasn't wise to make crucial decisions in a stressed state of mind wherever possible, especially when it came to social relations. People were troublesome enough to deal with in a good mood. Avoiding contact until a proper mindset had been achieved and an appropriate course of action devised was a much better solution.

And thus his mind ran the current pressing matter through its naturally analytical circuits and arrived after a few short but focused minutes of thought to a satisfactory conclusion. As soon as it had, he closed his eyes and his mind returned to its soothing blank slate. Just like that, with no need to dwell on matters unnecessarily. The real battle from this point on was not falling asleep.

He managed to hold out for several minutes before his jaw started going slack. Another few and he was stirring with a jerk, open mouth clicking shut.

 _…_ _Should get out before I fall asleep._ He lifted his eyelids and stared at the wall for several moments gathering up the motivation to move then heaved himself up out of the water with a grumbly sigh. It felt nice, but with the way his day had been going, he half expected to wake up with his face underwater if he stayed in the bath.

After drying off, exiting the bathroom, and slipping into a dry, comfortable black shirt and pants, his attention returned to his sleeping bag as his eyes set upon it once again. He approached it with a critical gaze zeroing in on the last few smudges of dirt left to clean. His mind remained clear of any thought of her this time as he set about finishing cleaning, any lingering scent having aired out to the point of being undetectable.

Three things in his apartment within his eyes' view had been touched by Hayate: the coffee she had insured wasn't thrown out; the remains of the muffin she had shared with him; and the sleeping bag she had tended to and sheltered from the rain. However, even as he finished tending to the sleeping bag and stepped back, his eyes did not linger on any of them. The empty cup and pastry bag were gathered up and dropped in the garbage without a single thought of her to bother him as he carried on into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

On his way back out, the sleeping bag was walked past without a spared glance on his way to his bed. Slipping under the sheets and relaxing at once into the mattress, his mind was completely at ease and soon descending into slumber. Not a single trouble would be slept on tonight, for he had already decided the matter in a most reasonable and logical manner.

Aizawa would make it up to her in the morning.

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 **-This chapter was tough to write an ending for. Not sure I nailed what I envisioned. :/**

 **-Based on my sleeping bag research, I predict Aizawa's to be in the $500-$1000 range for the features it has which I imagine have been advanced further in their technologically advanced society, so now you can imagine why Hayate freaked.**

 **-"Heron" was based on the real-life "Ibis" brand of sleeping bag because I like the name and bird.**


	8. Catcaptor Aizawa: Part 1

**-Thank you for being patient with me, your reward is an absolute** _ **beast**_ **of a chapter at 21,215 words! Due to its length, I have split it into two chapters (8+9) for reading ease.**

 **-Also, Meow is officially in** **July** **as of this chapter. I feel like I've changed what season it is a few times now so I wanted to clarify that to avoid confusing people. Putting together a timeline is hard when canon doesn't give exact dates and I'm not personally familiar with Japan's school year, so I've had to readjust accordingly. And dates do matter to an underlying extent in this story, such as with the kittens' age milestones and events that occur at specific times in Aizawa's school year which is why I needed to adjust a bit.**

 **-Brief mentions of rounded amounts of yen and USD value in [brackets].**

 **-One more thing: Aizawa's Capturing Weapon is magic ¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯**

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 _Catcaptor Aizawa: Part 1_

Sunday morning greeted Aizawa with overcast skies and a light drizzle as he stepped outside. He locked his door then turned and stood looking out through the rain for a moment. His right thumb ran in consideration over the handle of the borrowed umbrella from yesterday. There was no sleeping bag to be seen in his possession today, for it was still damp and laid out on its rack.

The rain was nothing like yesterday's deluge, but with the passing of the weather front it felt like a proper summer rain now; muggy, mild, and with lightly-colored clouds. Still, after last night, he really didn't feel like getting damp first thing in the morning. Thus, with his sleeping bag still out of action, the umbrella came up over his head instead as he stepped out into the rain and on his way to Suzu Café.

The walk there was not particularly long and was completely uneventful. Retracing a similar route to the one he had taken the previous night, he found himself passing down the very same street on which the incident had occurred. There was no physical sign of that altercation at all as he passed by despite the intangible marks it was soon going to leave on his social relations to one particular witness.

 _8:55 am._

If the time to meet was 9 am, one could bet money on Aizawa being there no earlier than necessary and certainly _never_ late. Neither a moment of his time would be wasted waiting nor a moment of the other person's time wasted because of his tardiness. Thus, 8:55 am was the perfect time he decided to arrive at Suzu Café, for it allowed him enough time to enter the café to return the umbrella, get a morning coffee ordered, take a seat and get comfortable. Well, so his reasoning went. Not that reality had to conform.

He knew he'd have to adjust his plans as soon as he turned onto the block for the café and caught sight of Hayate approaching from the opposite direction wearing an outfit nearly identical to yesterday's with the white raincoat, dark pants, and mid-cut, tan hiking boots. Normally, he stared just ahead of his feet, but with the umbrella in hand, he didn't have to stoop his eyes against the rain and looked out farther.

Now, the umbrella was the problem as he realized she would catch sight of the ridiculously patterned cats-and-dogs fabric, assume it belonged to him, and likewise surmise that he actually enjoyed terrible puns like that. Which he most certainly didn't. Adding to this ludicrously small personal problem, watching her, he realized that she had spotted him for she was watching him back. He had to act fast.

The umbrella came down with a quick swish and he started to rapidly shake it out as he continued walking forward with raindrops flecking his face, his eyes lingering on Hayate. As long as he got it put away before she could make out the pattern, he'd be fine.

But despite his haste, as he finished shaking it and started to fold it up, he could sense he had been too late for her sharp eyes. Shaking and moving it around seemed to have backfired by drawing her attention to the umbrella instead. He saw the change in her features as she recognized the cat and dog silhouettes and put two and two together, a small smile tugging at her lips. Drat.

He tucked the umbrella under his arm and kept walking forward with his lips pursed in silent dreading anticipation of some comment. Which, of course, she obliged as their approach brought them into a reasonable speaking range.

"Good morning! Cute umbrella."

 _Cute._ So she enjoyed terrible puns like that. " _It's not mine_ ," He practically spat. "It's that barista's."

Hayate raised an eyebrow. "You have her umbrella?"

"She gave it to me last night when I came back for my coffee."

"Oh, that was nice of her." They came to a stop face-to-face in front of the door for Suzu Café. Just as the morning before, Hayate shifted to open the door and held it for him with a smile. "After you."

"Mm… I guess." He walked through the offered door, grumbling as he went. "Thanks… G'morning."

Hayate followed after him with her smile broadening a little. She'd almost say he was embarrassed to be caught with the umbrella; probably because it was silly and cartoonish, which was very much _not_ him.

The barista was quick to take notice of Aizawa's presence, a smile beaming at him as she leaned a little to look at him coming down the aisle. "Welcome back, and good morning! I didn't expect to see you so soon. Oh—" she noticed Hayate behind him "—and you too, miss!"

Hayate looked around Aizawa's shoulder with a polite smile and answered for both of them. "Thanks! Good morning."

Aizawa didn't bother answering. Instead, he walked to the back of the café and up to the counter mutely and set the umbrella on the counter. "Here. Thanks," he provided unenthusiastically. "Tall black. No room. Dark roast."

The barista hesitated a moment then fixed a slightly squinted look at him. "You're pretty brisk, mister. But you're welcome!" Her bubbly features returned as she swiped the umbrella up to her shoulder and smiled at Hayate as she came up to the counter at Aizawa's right. "And you, miss?"

"Same as his, except medium roast. And ordering separately today."

"Alright, I'll get those started for you."

The barista turned away from the counter to start their orders and Hayate's attention shifted back to Aizawa turning her head a little to look at him. Even without his sleeping bag, he seemed half-asleep as usual watching the barista's back with a glazed look. Speaking of which…

"How's your sleeping bag?"

He blinked with a bit of focus returning to his eyes as he looked over at her. "Mm… still damp. It'll be fine by tomorrow."

"That's good news." Hayate recalled the Heron tag. "I'm glad it wasn't damaged from being in the road. I saw the brand on the tag; that would have been costly to replace."

 _Costly? She recognized the brand?_ "… You say that like you're familiar with sleeping bags."

"A little, I suppose. Sometimes when I go hiking it's for a few days, so I've got camping gear. Nothing special, though." She paused for a moment, looking at him with thoughts of last night in her mind. "… I was rather surprised that you left it there."

"Well, it didn't end up there by choice, exactly…" He slowly replied leaving his sentence hanging, clearly not inclined to discuss the topic just yet.

She sensed his hesitation and thought for a moment, then decided to let it pass. He wasn't quite ready to discuss last night, it seemed, so she shifted away from it with a teasing smile instead. "I didn't expect _you_ of all people to be walking around with a luxury item. I guess everybody splurges now and then."

His eyes got a bit squinty at that insinuation. "It's not luxury. It's a practical investment."

"A brand with a base-line of fifty-five thousand yen is kind of a luxury when a seven thousand yen bag and a bivy sack will do." [500$] [60$]

"It was on sale for twenty-five percent off."

"Oh I'm sorry; a _forty-one_ thousand yen sleeping bag." [$375] _Though to be honest, that's actually a great deal._

"For the features and lifespan of the sleeping bag, it was a logical investment in an item that suited all of my needs," he answered flatly, a bit of scowl starting to crease his brow. He did _not_ make illogical high-cost purchases.

Hayate meanwhile was sporting a fierce smirk. That wound him up real quick; it was a nice twist after his coffee teasing. "Your needs? Like sleeping on benches? I know high schoolers can be a pain, but I can't imagine it's that rough of a lifestyle."

"…" His jaw clamped shut, unable to offer an uncomplicated response to that, given the topic. His eyes shifted away from her, settling straight ahead. "… Look, I'll explain when we sit down."

The smirk on her face died out at that, not expecting to strike a nerve with her jest. "'Explain'… This relates to last night?" She surmised slowly.

"Yes." His eyes remained straight ahead.

Hayate studied him for several seconds in silence then decided to let the conversation drop altogether, uncertain of where to tread next. He seemed really serious about… _this_ , whatever 'this' was. She looked forward matching him, and they settled into mutual silence with an unusual bit of unspoken tension between them.

Within a minute, the barista had set up the coffees and turned to charge their cards with a smile, taking Aizawa's first as he stood closest to the register and then Hayate's. It wasn't too much longer after that and their coffees were ready.

"Here you go! Enjoy."

"Thank you." Hayate took her coffee and followed Aizawa as he turned and started walking back to the front of the café. As she predicted, he took a seat in the same as last time on the sofa closest to the door. Without his sleeping bag to rest in, he instead rested his forearms on his thighs with knees apart in a leaning, slouched posture and held his coffee trapped between both his hands. Same as before, Hayate sat down across from him, her back and legs straight with coffee seated over her lap on her left hand and the right around it.

She watched him take a sip as she took one herself, unsure if she should speak first or wait for him. He didn't seem to even acknowledge her presence, his eyes on the table. _Maybe he's thinking? Gathering his thoughts? What is it that he wants to talk about? It seems like something important. What happened last night? What does that have to do with his lifestyle?_ She couldn't hold back the curious swirling of unanswered questions that had been lingering since the night before.

"… So, you wanted to talk," she spoke quietly, finally breaking the silence.

He didn't give any indication of having heard her. For a moment, he was silent, then he stirred. "Mm. Suppose we should get right to the point, then." Aizawa's eyes lifted to hers. "Last night, the scene you happened upon was the aftermath of an assault."

Hayate immediately looked startled at that. "So that's why there were so many police cars! And the ambulance—someone was hurt?"

"Yeah, I'll explain, just listen," he replied blandly, compelling her to fall silent as he continued speaking in a scripted manner like she hadn't interjected at all. "The perpetrator was the man I had wrapped up, if you recall that." Aizawa held up one of the coils around his neck between two fingers, then let it drop. "It seems he had been drinking that night, which likely contributed to his behavior. Background included two prior charges of assault while publicly intoxicated.

Last night, he approached a group of three individuals—a man, his girlfriend, and the girlfriend's sister—and started to harass the women. The boyfriend tried to step in for their sakes, and the guy went off on him. His Quirk was something like a porcupine with spikes all over; solid defense and offense in one. Good for dealing out nasty punches and body slams.

In self-defense, the boyfriend activated his own Quirk, a simple strength enhancement, and fought back. Given the attacker's Quirk, this proved mostly ineffective, and soon his girlfriend activated her Quirk—small-object telekinesis—and began throwing rocks and other items to try and protect him while the sister called the police.

The object-throwing seemed to work somewhat as the criminal backed off a bit but continued to follow and harass them shouting further threats of violence while they tried to move the injured boyfriend away from the area. At any rate, getting pelted in the head with rocks and whatnot managed to hold him back long enough for a Pro Hero to arrive at the scene, and that's where I come in."

Aizawa's right hand retreated into his pocket. "You've come to know me as Aizawa Shouta. In other circles, I go by a different name." The hand reappeared holding his wallet, which he flipped open. "Erasure Hero: Eraser Head." On display there was his Pro Hero license. He peeked over the top of his wallet, eying her expectantly and waiting for her reaction.

For her part, Hayate looked _blind-sided_. That was _absolutely NOT_ where she had expected him to be going with this conversation. Frankly, she hadn't even heard him _speak_ so much at one time ever before. She spent a good long moment staring at him, the license, and digesting all that information before her features erupted with shocked disbelief.

" _YOU'RE_ a Pro Hero?!"

"Uh-huh."

" _You_ _?_ "

" _Yyyy_ ep." He wiggled the license a little. Logically, that should have made it obvious he was telling the truth.

"Wha—how—but you look—like _that!_ " Hayate stuttered an incoherent sentence and pointed her hand at him to fill in the blank of the first thought that jumped to her mind.

He frowned just a little at that last comment but took it in stride. "Yeah, seems pretty unbelievable at first glance. So as I was say—"

"And _second_ glance, too!"

"… I find it serves to my advantage to maintain an underwhelming appearance."

"Dressing like a hobo is a practical decision?"

His frown was growing. "I work at night primarily. Dark clothing is best."

"And the scruff?"

"Doesn't matter what I look like so long as I can do my job."

"I'd say most Pro Heroes would definitely beg to differ." Hayate's eyes sparked with a thought. "Oh, my cousin is a Pro, have you met—"

"Yeah, everybody knows somebody," he dismissed with a wave of his hand and a scowl, trying to keep things focused on the topic at hand. "Look, _the point is_ : I'm a Pro Hero. _Alright?_ " He stared at her pointedly waiting for a confirmation.

Hayate settled down, reining in her excitement at the exasperation creeping into his tone and expression. She straightened in her seat, not noticing that she had leaned forward. Right, he wasn't done talking yet. "… Got it. Continue."

He watched her for a moment just to make sure, then returned the wallet to his pocket. "… Anyway, as I was saying. I arrived at the scene then engaged with and apprehended the assailant. Shortly thereafter, the police and an ambulance arrived. The boyfriend looked like a pin cushion but was conscious and able to stay reasonably calm. The paramedics took him to the hospital with a full recovery expected.

The girlfriend and sister were questioned by an officer who then took them to the hospital to be with him, both unharmed. I restrained the assailant until the police were ready to take him into custody and reported what I saw of the incident. The thing with cases like this is they're a real mess on paper as the police have to figure out the legality of Quirk usage and severity, but given the circumstances it was clean-cut self-defense, and no severe injuries were incurred."

He paused for a moment then lifted a finger and pointed to her. "Anyways, that's about where you came in."

Hayate held his scrutinizing gaze for a moment, feeling self-conscious suddenly. "I… guess you didn't expect to see me there last night."

"Correct." He lowered his hand to cup the coffee again, eyes still fixed on hers.

It felt like he was expecting her to keep speaking judging from his pause, so Hayate thought for a moment then explained. "I was just passing by when I saw the police lights, and then your sleeping bag in the road…" She looked away for a moment, a bit sheepish. "I thought you had been hit by a car. I wouldn't have imagined anything like… the true situation."

"I figured as much," he answered nonchalantly. "It made sense, given the traffic conditions, visibility, and the scene."

Her features leveled out in a more serious look. "That's such a terrible thing to happen, though. I'm glad those people weren't hurt seriously." Her serious eyes pinned to the side for a moment with a dark thought. _If I hadn't decided to come to the café today… if I hadn't run into you and spent some time talking with you… that could have been me._ Hayate looked back at Aizawa and smiled a little. "They're alright, thanks to you."

He gave a small shrug with an air of indifference. "Eh, if I hadn't shown up, another Pro would have been there soon enough along with the police."

"Downplaying yourself? Are you a humble sort of Pro?"

"Meh. It's just the truth of the matter."

Her smile suddenly split a bit wider, curiosity building to a high again. "Hey, so you're a Pro, but didn't you tell me you were a teacher before?"

"Mmm," he rubbed his chin, eyes drifting away. "I'll get to that in a second."

Hayate's eyes lit up. "Wait a minute! You teach a specialty subject! Don't you? You've sort of said that. It must be a hero course, then? A high school hero course? _Now_ I can see how that would be a rough lifestyle!"

His brows twitched down together. _Dang it, she figured that out in an instant._ "Would you slow down a minute? I'm trying to do this in an orderly manner," he griped, looking a bit cross.

She backed off again. "Ah, sorry. You've just caught me by surprise with this," Hayate replied apologetically.

"I never would have guessed," he deadpanned.

" _Sorry_. Okay, continue." She gestured at him, watching expectantly.

He stared at her for a few moments then let out a little huff and looked down. "... So, moving on. I'm going to make an educated guess and say you've never heard the hero name Eraser Head; that right?"

"Yeah."

"And that's for good reason. I hate the attention. Having the media breathing down my neck interferes with my work. The more people recognize me, the harder my job gets. I prefer anonymity as much as possible; no one sees me coming, that way.

In addition to that, fame is a completely illogical waste of my time. I don't have any interest in popularity or maintaining appearances. Appealing to fans is completely uninteresting and useless to my work."

Hayate gave him an odd look. _So, basically, a Pro Hero who wants none of the societal perks of_ _being_ _a Pro Hero_. _That's unusual._ Well, except for maybe government benefits. That was actually practical.

"So, you just want to show up, do your job, and then go home and sleep?" She said slowly.

"Precisely." He looked a bit pleased that she followed him so well.

"… Huh."

"And it's important that you grasp that fully as it pertains to you going forward." Aizawa was looking her directly in the eyes now. "To be perfectly honest, I'd have been content if you didn't find out about this. I hate having my professional and private lives muddled together; it makes everything messy and annoying. However, it would be a waste of time to dodge the truth at this point since you've seen enough of it first-hand, and furthermore, you don't strike me as the type to take advantage of this information for bragging rights to your friends or media interest; that sort of thing."

Hayate read the subtext there loud and clear: _Don't_ take advantage of this information. Telling a casual, non-work relation who—despite their good rapport—was still a rather newly-minted friend, was a show of trust. Much like the unzipping of the cat carrier which had been an offer of connection, this was an invitation into his personal business.

 _As reclusive as he is, he probably only tells people he's a Pro on a need-to-know basis. I see him almost daily in an area he can't avoid; I know small details about him from our conversations that some media outlets would gladly accept._ _I'm_ _in a position to muddy the waters between his personal and professional life._

"I understand." She met his eyes earnestly. "I won't tell anyone about it. I'll keep this confidential for your privacy."

Aizawa believed the look in her eyes. Ease settled into his mind upon arriving at a positive conclusion, and his features relaxed into an approving smile. That went smoothly, just as logically expected. "Good. I'm becoming rather fond of our morning routine. I'd hate for any bad blood to come between us, so I'll hold you to that."

Hayate smiled matching his. "I enjoy it too. You're not half-bad company."

He scoffed at that, but his lips did split in a smirk. "Really, huh? That speaks for the quality of your usual company."

"Hey!" Between his tone and wording, his comment sounded like a teasing insult and she reacted as such, but then she quickly hesitated. _I—I_ _think_ _that's an insult? If he's suggesting he, himself, is low quality? Or is that a compliment about my usual company since I called him good company as a reference point?_

The linguistic trap wasn't lost on its maker, who watched the indecision cross through her eyes with a growing smirk. "Hey what?"

Hayate hesitated again, then settled on a frown. "Explain that."

"Explain what?"

"What did you mean just now?"

"I meant what I said."

"And what did what you say mean?"

"What do you think it meant?" He challenged.

Her lips clamped shut and she squinted at him. He wasn't going to let her off the hook. Fine then. Kill it with kindness. "I just hope you weren't downplaying yourself again." She suddenly gave him a very warm, sweet smile. "I wasn't joking. I really do think you're good company, Aizawa-san."

The smirk on his lips died and was traded for a stiff, taken aback look for a second before his eyes dropped to his coffee, virtually abandoned during the conversation, and he raised it to his lips. "I don't downplay anything," he grumbled into the lid before taking a sip.

Her smile didn't waver for an instant. "I'm glad to hear that. There's no need for it when I keep such _high-quality_ company." _I knew it. If a mere cute umbrella would deter him with its nonsense, a heartfelt look like that definitely would._

"Whatever, anyway," he moved along briskly. "That wraps up what I had prepared. Ask whatever you want now." He hunched over his coffee, refusing to look at her.

"Really?" Hayate leaned forward, curiosity erupting back to the surface like a geyser as the warm smile parted ways with her features for a brimming grin. "Whatever I want? I can ask anything?"

"…" _Hm. I might have just given her too much free-rein._ Haste got the better of him. He sipped and didn't look up. "… That's what I said."

That opened the door to all sorts of possibilities! Her brain whirred into overdrive. _How about…_ "You didn't answer earlier; you are a teacher, too, aren't you?"

"Yes." He didn't elaborate.

"And you teach a Pro Hero course?"

"Yes."

 _So I was right!_ "Where do you teach?"

"I'd like to keep that confidential."

"Hm… who do you work with?"

"Also confidential."

"Which Pros do you know?" _He's got to have some cool friends._

"I don't care to talk about this." He appeared bored as he raised his coffee to his lips again.

Her smile fell back to a frown. _Hm…_ She studied him sipping for a second and lifted her own cup for a drink as she considered options. _Okay, so I guess he doesn't want to reveal his connections._ Her eyes flicked down to the fabric around his neck. She pointed a curious finger at it.

"You had that criminal last night wrapped up in your scarf."

"Mm-hm." He looked at her over his coffee cup.

She waited a long moment, but he said nothing more. Her brow furrowed a little, a bit miffed. _What, an implied question isn't good enough?_ "Is your scarf some sort of tool, then?" She rephrased.

"My _Capturing Weapon_ ," he corrected, "is a piece of equipment designed to aid me in capturing villains in coordination with my Quirk." He finished succinctly and fixed her with an expectant gaze. Because the next question was just too obvious.

Hayate didn't fail him. "And your Quirk is…?"

"Erasure." His eyelids dropped closed then flashed open, eyes gleaming red.

Hayate started a little in surprise as his hair and Capturing Weapon lifted. _Oh! So that's what I saw last night._ She looked at the softly flowing fabric with keen interest and then up to his face, which was suddenly a lot more visible than it usually was without his hair obscuring the upper half and the fabric the lower. _Wow, he's even scruffier than I realized. Are those goggles? And his eyes…_ It felt like he was mad at her just from the red color change alone, despite his neutral features otherwise as he looked at her steadily. _Scary. I wouldn't mess with a Pro that looked like that. Or… any Pro, actually._

"When Erasure is activated, I am able to disable the 'Quirk Factor' of any person that I look at."

Her eyes widened at that. "Disable?" _Could he… do that permanently?_

"The effect is only temporary, though." He closed his eyes and the fabric and his hair dropped messily immediately. He opened his eyes again to resume his watchful gaze of her, and they were black.

 _Oh, I suppose that answers that…_ Hayate put it together quickly, as he expected. "So it's only active when your eyes glow red, and when you close your eyes it ends… an emitter type Quirk, then?"

"Yes."

"Hm," she thought for a second, a hand lifted to her chin. _Stopping a Quirk with just a glance._ A new thought entered her mind with a tiny spark, a self-focused and hopeful one. _Could he…_ "So it stops emitter types from emitting, and could prevent a transformation or reverse it I imagine, but… how do you deactivate a mutant Quirk?"

"I can't erase someone's body, but I may be able to impair the function of the Quirk depending on its mechanisms."

 _Impair… but not disable completely. So if he did use it… Well, he did, just now, looking right at me. And I didn't feel anything different._ The tiny spark of a hopeful thought died out. Her thoughts shifted elsewhere again.

"That villain last night must have been a mutant type judging from his appearance. Are fights like that hard since your Quirk doesn't affect them?"

"Yeah, they're a real pain," he gave an annoyed look, "Especially prickly guys like that. Best to just wrap them up with a 'hands-off' approach." He gestured a hand at his Capturing Weapon.

"That sounds like it would be risky." Her brow furrowed. "You didn't get hurt last night, did you?"

"Pft, nah," he seemed amused. "That guy was an amateur. Might have looked tough, but no way."

 _So prickly guys like that are a real pain, but he's better than that, huh? Guess confidence in his technique is one thing he's not downplaying._ Her eyes settled on the fabric around his neck. _How the heck does he even use that thing? Like a lasso? Makes sense; he would barely have to move._ And moving as little as possible certainly seemed to be his pace.

"So your Quirk disables Quirks, but why does your hair and Capturing Weapon float?"

"Trade secret."

"Hm…" She looked dissatisfied at the brevity of his answer, puzzling on it a moment more as she studied the cloth. "The fabric lifts like your hair—is it made with your hair, too?"

"Trade. Secret." He spoke tightly through his teeth.

"Fine…" Hayate relented, discarding the thought. She quickly picked up a new one though with a grin. "If you grew out a beard, would it float, too?!"

Her gaze was met with a very flat, unamused stare. "… _Seriously?_ "

"Would it?"

"That's a ridiculous question."

"You said I could ask anything."

 _And I'm regretting it already._ "I didn't say I'd answer anything. Next question."

"You know, you aren't answering a lot of these questions."

"Then ask better questions."

"Can you even grow a good beard?"

"Next. Question."

"Why'd you drop your sleeping bag in the road?"

He paused to consider that question. There was definitely a snarky undertone there. But it _was_ a better question. "As I mentioned earlier; not by choice." His brow furrowed with an annoyed look. "That porcupine villain couldn't shoot spikes out or anything like that, but he could pull them out and throw them for ranged attacks. He tried that as soon as he saw me coming. So when it came down to getting it wet or stabbed full of holes, I went with the former option."

"You couldn't drop it on the sidewalk?"

"I was pressed for reaction time."

"Hm, not sure getting run over by a car is any better than being hit by a porcupine quill."

"Cars would try to dodge it. Porcupine quills would not."

"I suppose that's true."

Hayate fell silent for a few seconds to gather her next thoughts as she took a sip. _Hmm… what next?_ She looked him over. Pro Hero or not, he still looked quite underwhelming. Nothing about him screamed 'exciting' like 'Pro Hero' should. Heck, forget a Hero Costume; he looked like he could be wearing his day-off clothes every day. Her gaze settled on the bags under his eyes. Did 'heroing' just take the life right out of him?

"…How long have you been a Pro?"

"This is my tenth year."

"Oh, that's a milestone! Congrats."

"Eh." He shrugged indifferently. "I'm still alive, I guess."

"That's kind of _morbid!_ "

"I've had a few close calls."

 _Huh, so 'heroing' nearly has taken the life out of him._ A bit of a chilling thought. For a moment, Hayate thought to ask 'like what,' but then she decided that asking to hear about all the times he nearly died was definitely lacking in good taste. Instead, she did some math.

"So you've been a Pro for ten years, and you probably took a high school hero course, is that right?"

"Yes."

 _So he probably graduated when he was eighteen, which means—_ "So you're twenty-eight years old?"

"Twenty-seven."

 _Birthdate, of course._ "Hm, turning twenty-eight this year?"

"Yes."

"When's your birthday?"

He looked bored. "Is this relevant in any way?"

"Mmmm… I just turned twenty-seven on June 6th," she offered, smiling expectantly.

He looked at her for a few moments in consideration of the trade, then relented. "Hm… November 8th."

 _Hm, So he's eight months older._ She thought for a few moments again. "… What's your blood type?"

"That's a stupid question," he returned, looking away from her. "There's nothing accurate about them at all."

"Of course they aren't, but I'm curious anyway. I'm AB."

He silently considered the trade again then gave a huff. "… B."

 _Hmm…_ She pondered that one. _Eh, about as accurate as I'd expect. Let's see, what else…?_ She looked him over, eyes drifting across the black of his clothes to his Capturing Weapon, then to his scruff, heavily-lidded eyes, and frowning lips.

The questions that were sitting at the top of her mind seemed more of the same type that would make him huff and grumble. However, the excitement of being given permission to ask anything of the reserved man who had occupied each of her workday mornings for the last few weeks and remained positively elusive beyond bits of small talk was compelling. She now knew he was a Pro, yet observing him looking the same as he was every morning, it just didn't _feel_ real. 'Eraser Head' might have been his great revelation this morning, but to her, he was just 'Aizawa Shouta'.

And so, the questions pressed on with a bit of a playful smile on her lips, for certainly this opportunity for nonsense questions couldn't go to waste.

"Where'd you grow up?"

His eyes squinted a little at his coffee cup. He took a sip silently then muttered, "… Tokyo."

"So did I. Where in Tokyo?"

"…"

"Do you have any siblings? I have an older brother."

"… No."

"Did you have any cats growing up?"

"No."

"Me neither, not before Tenten… my brother is allergic to animal fur, so that was after he moved out."

"…"

"What kind of clubs did you take in school?"

"None."

"None…? What about hobbies?"

"Sleeping."

"Besides _that_."

"Thinking about sleeping."

"Do you do anything other than sleeping?"

"Work."

"Anything _else?_ "

Aizawa was silent for several seconds, then he gave a sigh and looked up from his coffee cup to Hayate with an exasperated expression. "You know, when I said you could ask anything, I sort of figured that meant anything related to being a Pro, not trivia."

Hayate considered his annoyance briefly then gave a shrug. "Well, you're a Pro Hero, and that's cool, but… you don't really seem any _different_ to me? I mean… you're still my scruffy morning train and coffee buddy who likes cats." She smiled. "Is wanting to get to know you really such a bad thing?"

The exasperation disappeared from his face. He looked at her with an unreadable expression for a moment before his eyes dropped again with a hand raising to scratch the back of his head. Get to know him… been a while since anybody wanted to do that. And she just came right out and said it, too.

He dodged the question and the faint flicker of warmth he felt. "… Still, you should at least consider what me being a Pro means a little more thoroughly. Say, if I had been the one injured by the villain last night." His eyes flicked back up to her. "I just might show up to the train station one morning looking like I've taken one hell of a beating. As far as I'm concerned, that's just business as usual. Can't say that would be normal from someone else's point of view."

Hayate's smile retracted, considering his concerns seriously for a number of seconds in silence. "… I can see that. Yeah, if you showed up black and blue and I didn't know why I'd be quite concerned. Well, I'd be concerned either way, until I was sure you were alright. But you seem to be overlooking the fact that I'm a vet tech. Imagine your nurses poking around at your injuries and that's basically what I do on a daily basis but for animals. That's some pretty gruesome stuff at times.

It's in the news a lot: hearing about Pros who get injured, or worse, die. Many professions have risks; in mine, animal-related injuries, disease exposure, X-Ray, gases, and sharp instruments are standard. You have a particularly hazardous profession. It's just how it is. I understand that just fine."

Her eyes shifted to the side, thinking a bit longer. _"_ _I've had a few close calls," he said._

"… I suppose if I had to say anything in particular about you being a Pro, it would be 'thank you'; for taking that risk." Her eyes returned to his along with a soft smile. "I think the media forgets that sometimes with the popularity aspects of the job."

Aizawa returned her gaze, holding it for a long time without any sign of replying or moving. Thinking. Evaluating. He could tell then by her words and tone that she was not someone to be ruffled easily. Whether by experience, natural temperament, or, as he suspected, a combination of both, she calmly acknowledged the hard reality of a situation.

At the same time, she was not unkind or cynical. And for that, at her words of "thank you", he was also thankful to her. It was at that point that his concern was put completely to rest. To her, him being a Pro Hero was just a simple fact of life; just as it logically should be.

A faint smile crossed his lips, and his eyes dropped back to his coffee. "Hm-hmph... I didn't expect me being a Pro hero to come across as such a blasé profession. But I guess I must look like quite a dull Hero."

Hayate's smile wavered sheepishly. "Uh, sorry… I didn't mean to imply that." _Although, it's true…_ _you do._

"Sure, it's fine. But still, that's enough ridiculous questions for one morning. You're starting to drive me nuts." He met her eyes again with a small, good-humored smile showing he wasn't annoyed.

"Ah, right."

Hayate smiled but internally was disappointed at that. She was still curious. She took a sip. Heck, her coffee was hardly gone! They'd barely just begun talking it seemed. _And yet, this is the longest we've ever talked. Maybe it just feels that way because you did so much of the talking this time._ Looking him over as she nursed a long sip, the feeling of discontent lingered.

… _You're the first person I've gotten to know around here since moving. That's so weird, considering we met on a train station bench of all places! I was a little wary at first, but… you're easy to be around. It's reassuring to have a friend close by._ The cup stopped, an idea sparking in her eyes. The coffee pulled away from her lips and she smiled.

"… Well, how about an activity instead?"

"Hm?" Aizawa glanced up questioningly from a long sip of his coffee. "… Like what?"

"TNR. Wanna come?"

Aizawa blinked. An invite? That was unexpected. He studied her friendly smile and thought about it for a moment or two, then smirked a little. "Herding cats instead, huh?"

"Well, logically, it's for a good reason," she returned matter-of-factly.

"Mm… I guess I didn't have anything else planned today. Less ridiculous than this game of twenty questions."

"Certainly. And it's all about cats." A scheming glint entered her eye. "What'dya say, Assawa-san?"

"Bwuh?" The sudden name-call caught him off guard and he stared at her blankly for a second, but then he put it together. _"How about… Half a muffin?" "What'dya say, Assawa-san?"_ A metaphorical muffin held in offering much like the day before where he had promptly excused himself. Well, with an open Sunday schedule before him, there was nothing to stop him now.

A grin slowly spread across his lips, and a chuckle rose in his throat. "Hm-hmph… I'd say that's a good deal."

Her smile grew with rekindled excitement. "Well then, come on!" She suddenly stood up coffee in-hand.

Aizawa looked up at her a bit surprised. "Uh, right now?"

"Yeah!" She moved for the door, looking back over her shoulder and still smiling. "You think you're the only one who can make a quick exit?"

He looked reluctant to get up from the sofa. _Comfy._ "... That was work-related."

"And this is cat-related," she retorted without a skipped beat, setting her hand on the door handle and pausing expectantly. "Why are you dragging your feet?"

"… Fine." With a relenting sigh, he pushed off his arms and rose.

Hayate didn't let his drab tone fool her for a second with the faint smile on his face. She pushed open the door with her grin still brimming, Aizawa following after her with sluggish steps. Unnoticed by either of them, the barista watched them go from her place behind the counter peaking over the top of the book which hid her smile.

Outside, the sky greeted them with a sprinkling rain lighter than when they entered. It was mild enough that Hayate hesitated to immediately lift her hood, and after a moment of deliberation decided to leave it down. Glancing to her left, Aizawa seemed unperturbed with eyelids heavy and posture slouched as usual as he sipped his coffee. She looked down at her phone as she took it out of her pocket with her free hand.

"The cats that we already caught are being kept in the home of a couple who live in the area. The wife helped me catch them Friday and take them for surgeries yesterday, so we'll release them today. The husband was working Friday and Saturday, but today he's off and said he'd help. So between the four of us, setting traps should be a breeze. I'll just let them know I'm on my way, plus one."

Aizawa watched her text with a sidelong look, his lips turned down in a thoughtful frown. "… Hey, you didn't invite me just for free labor, did you?"

"Haha! Are you always so suspicious?" She laughed then looked up at him with a gleam in her eyes. "What if I did? Are you gonna back out on those cats?"

"You're gonna hold that over me, huh? Jeez."

"Well, I said I keep high-quality company. That includes you now." She smiled cheekily. "Don't make me eat my words."

He looked at her for a moment then away with a defeated sigh. "Sheesh… I used to think you were just nice. You're criminally quick-witted, too."

Her lips twitched back slightly, but it was an uncertain smile. "Hm, if a Pro calls something 'criminal' is it really a compliment?"

"See. That."

"Well… it takes me some time to warm up to people. And I worry about regretting my words, sometimes... But I feel like we've gotten to know each other a bit, and your humor seems at least as lousy as mine is."

"So I brought it on myself by opening the door with that coffee ruse, in other words?"

"Yep." She was smiling as she said it, but afterwards, it faded with a flicker of concern. "… Does it bother you? I can tone it down."

He looked slightly baffled. "Eh? No. Some Pro I'd be if I were that thin-skinned."

"Um… that doesn't exactly sound like you like it."

"It's fine. Actually… sort of reminds me of some people." Aizawa glanced away, two particular friends with wild hair and personalities coming to mind.

Hayate fixed him with an inquisitive look, curiosity piqued. "Some people? Some… friends?"

"Mm-hm."

"… Pro Hero friends?"

"Mm. Hm."

"… And you're not going to say who."

"Precisely. Because our Q&A is over." His tone carried a definite tone of finality.

She sighed, looking away with a defeated smile. _Guess I'm not gonna weasel anything else out of him._

Every good thing came to an end. A companionable silence settled between them in the absence of further conversation allowing each of them to settle into their thoughts. Hayate's mind was still racing and tumultuous as everything that had been learned in so short a time was shuffled into order.

Aizawa's mind, by contrast, was rather unbothered and relaxed as he followed Hayate's lead down the road at a brisk but comfortable pace. Every logical concern of his had been sufficiently addressed. Perhaps the only thing left to bother him was the feeling that she seemed thoroughly underwhelmed with him being a Pro; like she was underestimating him. Although, he couldn't say that surprised him either given the lackluster impression he tended to leave on people. With both of them contained within their own minds, quietness persisted as time passed by until eventually, Hayate's feet came to a stop.

"We're here."

He followed her eyes to a detached two-story home that had tightly-packed neighbors and a covered parking area forming an attached garage to the left of the front door. A compact SUV was parked there, and alongside it, against the house, a conspicuous wall of box traps each covered in a towel was stacked. Hayate proceeded to the front door and rang the buzzer. When the door opened, it was a woman.

"Hayate-san! Hello."

"Hi, Tanaka-san! How are the cats doing?"

"Oh they're doing well, I'd say. They're alert." Aizawa gave 'Tanaka-san' a lazy look-over as her eyes shifted over Hayate's shoulder to him. Middle-aged, fairly average looking, dark brown eyes and short black hair. He saw a flicker of questioning concern flash over her face at the sight of him.

Hayate was quick to pick up on it too, turning sideways at once with a smile and addressing a hand to him. "This is Aizawa Shouta, a friend of mine. He's here to help, too." Her hand shifted to the woman for Aizawa. "And this is Tanaka Maiko. She and I are working together for the TNR."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Aizawa-san," Maiko bowed in greeting.

"Hey. Nice to meet you." A reply spoken about as enthusiastically as one could expect of Aizawa.

Maiko seemed unsure of what to make of that and turned her attention back to Hayate with a smile. "My husband is getting the cats now. We'll bring them straight out since they look good, I think that's alright?"

"Behind you, dear."

She turned her head around at the newcomer behind her in the entryway. "Oh!" Maiko shifted aside and he stepped forward carrying a box trap covered in a towel in each hand. He smiled when he got to the open doorway and saw Hayate.

"Hello, Hayate-san."

"Hey! And yeah, that's fine. Here, I'll take that." Hayate took one trap with her free, non-coffee-holding hand.

"Thank you."

Aizawa stepped forward to do the same wordlessly. The husband looked a bit startled at his scruffy appearance and unfamiliarity.

"Uh, are you the one with Hayate-san?"

"Yeah."

"He'll help with the TNR," Hayate elaborated as she set the trap on the ground and crouched down to lift the towel and look in.

"Ah! Thank you for coming then. I'm Tanaka Hideaki. Nice to meet you." The man smiled.

"Aizawa Shouta. Likewise." Aizawa maintained a bland expression as he looked him over and took the trap. Sort of matched his wife; average, middle-aged, glasses.

Hideaki hesitated and looked away awkwardly to Hayate's crouched back. "So how does he look, Hayate-san?"

"Mm… this fella looks alert." The cat hissed. "Ha, sounds feisty, that's good… they've been eating well?"

"Yes, they all ate last night and this morning. Maiko's got the notes all down." He looked to his wife.

"Right! I'll go get them and the supplies."

Hideaki paid one final awkward glance to Aizawa's back as he moved away with the trap. "I'll get the last cat, too."

The couple disappeared back into the house. Aizawa set the second trap down beside Hayate's then lowered for closer inspection, sitting on his haunches and lifting up the edge of the towel to look in. A small orange cat with fearful pupils stared back at him, its body pressed into the rear of the trap.

"I think she named that one Cheeto." Aizawa glanced right to Hayate beside him, finding her looking over at the cage in front of him. Hayate pushed her head forward more and leaned closer to Aizawa to see the cat in the back of the cage. "Oh my. What big eyes you've got, Cheeto." The cat's eyes flicked to her then between the two humans, uncertain of which he should watch. "She says he's very skittish. Only comes to feeding areas if few or no other cats are there even. The rain actually helped us catch him since most of the cats were disinclined to come out because of it."

Aizawa studied him for a few seconds more then turned his gaze looking over Hayate's head to the other cat. A black and grey tabby peered back warily, though not as uncomfortable-looking as Cheeto for it sat hunched in the middle of the trap observing them both.

"Have they both got names?"

"Hm…" Hayate's eyes shifted back to the cat in front of her. "I think Maiko named all of them." Something brushed Aizawa's sense of smell. "Pretty glad she did. I'm not really good at giving names." Subtle and familiarly good, it drew his eyes down to Hayate. "I overthink them and end up drawing a blank." She was crouched right next to him; close enough to catch a faint whiff of her perfume. She was silent for a few seconds, then a thought seemed to cross her mind for she smiled suddenly and turned her head. "Hey, what about your Hero Na—"

She stopped speaking abruptly as she realized he was watching her intently and not the cats. She assessed their close proximity and his expression for a moment, then a look of having made an error crossed her face and she suddenly stood up.

"Ah! My coffee's finished, I'd better throw the cup away before we start." She started walking quickly to the door, giving her cup a light swish. It wasn't empty, actually; about a quarter left.

Aizawa blinked. "Oh." Yeah, that was practical. He stood up. "Same here." His cup actually was. He started moving as if to follow.

Hayate stopped and turned back abruptly, raising her free hand. "Oh, no worries! I'll take it in for you. No need for both of us to take our shoes off, right? That would be illogical."

He stopped walking, studying her expression. Panicked, almost? "… I suppose so."

"Here!" She stepped closer and extended her hand for his cup. "Just keep the cats company, hehe."

"… Mm." He offered the cup and watched her take it carefully avoiding touching his hand during the transfer.

She turned just as quickly as before and went back to the door. "I'll be right back."

He stared at the door for several seconds even after she lightly closed it. "… Hm."

That felt… _odd_.

He looked back down at the cats and shrugged to himself, lowering again to be at eye-level with them. Wasn't a bad crew to hang out with for a minute or two. None of them moved or made a sound until the door opened to reveal Hideaki having returned with the final trap.

"Uh, Aizawa-san, do you mind taking this?"

"No." _No_ , he didn't mind. Spoken with brevity and no emotion, though. He stood up and walked over, reaching for the trap.

"Um… thank you." Hideaki forced a smile.

Aizawa set the trap down beside the other two and crouched to look in. The lifting of the towel was met with a long hiss and a flash of teeth from a white and orange cat, its ears pinned back and golden eyes glaring.

"That one's a cranky old man." Aizawa glanced over to Hideaki at the comment. He was slipping his shoes on in the entryway. "I just call him 'Grumps'." Aizawa looked back to the cat then slowly lowered the towel without comment. Made sense.

Hayate and Maiko reappeared in the entryway as Hideaki finished with his shoes. "Here, dear." Maiko handed Hideaki a reusable grocery bag filled with something and he stepped outside, then the two ladies got their shoes on quickly before following.

"Okay." Hayate took the lead, looking over to the bag Hideaki had. "You've got the notes?" He reached in and handed her a clipboard with papers on it, and she looked over the feeding and post-op behavior recorded there. "Cheeto… all good. _Tuna_ —looks like you've had plenty of that. And _Grumps_ …" She looked at the final trap and bent down to check it for the first time.

 _Hisssss._

"Well, you're sounding lively." She looked him over a bit longer then lowered the towel and shuffled to the next paper. "Alright, they're looking good, so we'll let them go today."

Hayate took out two identical pages from the clipboard; a map app printout of the area with circled locations. "There are two areas around here that the cats are used to feeding at, thanks to Tanaka-san." She gave a brief smile to Maiko. "So, we'll go ahead and split up into pairs and place traps around each location. There are twelve traps total and four of us, so I figure we each place three in relatively close clusters around the sites. We want someone to always stay nearby the traps, so communicate with your partner and mark their exact placements on the sheet. Check all of them every fifteen minutes or so. Where we caught these three is also marked, so release them where we caught them."

Hayate looked over to the wall of empty traps lining the garage wall and walked over. She took one down then walked back a bit and set it down on the ground in front of the others.

"Since some of us haven't set traps before—" Hideaki and Aizawa "—I'll show you how real quick…" Hayate smoothly walked them through how to open the traps, set the trigger, and put some oily tuna in to draw the cats to the back. "… And that's it. If you capture a cat, check to see if its ear has been tipped or if it has a collar, in which case release it. Otherwise, bring it back here." She looked up with a smile. "Any questions?"

She glanced across the three of them finding the Tanakas smiling and clearly in full understanding. Hayate's eyes then settled on Aizawa's face and she paused. His eyes were glazed over and starting to drift off. _Could have caught them all by now._

"… Are you paying attention?"

He blinked and looked back over. "Huh? Yeah."

She squinted at him. _That wasn't very convincing._ He pretended not to notice. The Tanakas watched on uncertainly as if they still couldn't figure out what this strange hobo man was doing here.

"… Well then. Let's get to it. I'll go with Aizawa-san." The married couple looked relieved at that.

"Ah, could I release Grumps?" Hideaki spoke up.

"He's got a soft spot for that old gramps," Maiko teased.

"Sure! Go right ahead. We'll take Cheeto and Tuna since they were captured at the other site." Aizawa read between the lines and moved forward to pick up the traps holding Cheeto and Tuna. Food supplies in the bags were quickly split and traps grabbed two to each person including cats, then the teams headed out.

Aizawa seemed eager to take off the moment he saw the location marked on Hayate's map sheet, and she walked quickly to catch up to and fall into step beside him carrying two empty traps to match the two cats he carried. She looked over at him and studied what she could see of his face behind his messy bangs and Capturing Weapon. He appeared to be staring off in an unfocuses manner in front of him, his eyelids stooped. A faint bit of worry crossed her features. _He isn't…_ _bored_ _, is he?_ Hayate looked forward uncertainly and quietly cleared her throat.

"… I know I was sort of joking earlier, but thanks for coming… It wasn't just to balance out the teams, heheh."

His dull eyes lifted a little as he tuned in. "…Wasn't 'just', huh?"

She hesitated. "Well, yeah, you know, it was… friend stuff, too."

"Friend stuff, huh? That's articulate."

"Well, yeah! Friends do stuff," she retorted.

"… Hm." He studied her for a second, then looked forward. "… Every fifteen minutes, huh?"

"What?"

"It seems to me that, in-between checking traps, you'd have plenty of time to ask more ridiculous questions."

"Th-That's not all it was!"

Her flushing cheeks gave him all the answer he needed, and he smirked. Aizawa's eyes watched her sidelong for a moment in thought, then shifted forward again. "… Earlier, you started to ask something."

Hayate's indignation died promptly. Oh, earlier… in front of the traps. "Uh… y-yeah."

"… It didn't sound too ridiculous."

Her eyes widened a little and she looked at him quickly. _Was that an invitation?_ "Oh. Um… what about your Hero Name? Eraser Head. Why'd you pick that?"

"I didn't pick it. My classmate did."

Hayate gave him a questioning look. "Wait, aren't Hero Names supposed to be really important? And you let somebody else pick it?"

"I don't want to be on the news, so I don't care what name I have."

"So 'Eraser Head' was just like the first thing that they came up with or something?"

"Yeah."

So with his lack of costume, friendliness, publicity, and now name… he really didn't have a lot going on. She looked at him teasingly. "I swear, Aizawa-san, the more you tell me about you being a Pro Hero, the less interesting you sound."

He scowled. "I'm not aiming to impress anyone."

She looked him up and down. _Hobo Hero: Eraser Head._ "Clearly."

He grumbled and looked away. "… This is almost the street, right?"

"Ah, you're right."

Hayate focused on the street signs and guided them to the correct block where Tuna and Cheeto were to be released. "Alright, here's good." There was a small grassy park area with some trees and shrubbery.

Aizawa set the traps down, and Hayate stepped forward to pull back Cheeto's towel and open the back door of the trap. The cat scrambled to the front of the trap when she moved to his hiding spot in the back, but as soon as he realized the door was open he shot out like a bullet.

"Woo! He's gone." Hayate watched him zoom out into a bush. "Not catching him again anytime soon."

Aizawa watched without comment, though his hands flexed inside his pockets. _Eh, I could make it._ Kind of felt like challenging that assertion. Especially on the heels of another dig at his Pro status, and after sitting through those irrelevant trapping instructions; it all was making him feel… twitchy.

Hayate did the same with Tuna's trap, and they watched the cat scramble off behind a building though not quite so energetically as Cheeto.

"Alright, now we can get these traps set up. Do you want to set these two up or—" Aizawa walked to the other two traps that she had temporarily abandoned "—… _Okay_. Guess that answers that."

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and laced his fingers, stretching them out. "The cats will be around this park area?"

"Yeah, Tanaka-san's been feeding them around here to get them used to coming to one place, so they'll expect it."

He rolled his shoulders and picked up the traps. "Alright. Let's start this already."

"Uh, forgetting your food pack," Hayate pointed out, pulling a package of tuna in oil out with a plastic spoon from the bag.

He stopped and looked back at her. The look on his face suggested he wanted to argue something, but then he changed his mind and let it drop. "… Fine. Just toss it over here." He lowered the trap in the hand closest to her.

"Sure." She tossed the food packet and the spoon one at the time to make sure he'd catch them.

He grabbed them up effortlessly and looked away lazily, tucking them into his pants pocket and picking up the trap again. "Later."

Hayate was a little caught off-guard by his expert catch. "Uh, don't go too far, remember. Maybe set them up on the other side of the park."

"Yeah, yeah." He did not seem to be paying attention as he quickly made off with the empty traps.

She watched him go for a bit then huffed and shifted her attention to the now empty traps beside her. _Well, I guess I can't say I was expecting him to be_ _enthusiastic_ _, but I was hoping he'd at least be engaged since it's cat-related._

She pushed aside her feelings and picked up the traps then set about finding good locations for them. One she put satisfactorily against some bushes which would appeal to a cat expecting a hiding place, and the next was under a bench close to where Maiko said she put food down. Each had food put in it and was set, and when Hayate was satisfied she stepped back and set her sights on the far side of the park. _Better check-in with him. There are four traps left back at the house; I'd like to have two go to each site, so only one of us should head back._

Hayate made her way across the small green area scanning all around, but she didn't spot him or his traps. She frowned. "Aizawa-san! You around here?" There was no response to her call. She moved on a bit and tried again achieving the same result. She frowned. He didn't seem to be anywhere in the park, and the traps weren't there, either. _Good grief, where'd he go? He_ _was_ _paying attention, right? I said_ _communicate_ _with your partner!_

With the first inkling of frustration starting to rise, Hayate started looking down the nearby streets. _He couldn't have gotten too far, right? I can search while waiting for my traps._ Looking down as far as the eye could see, she combed each street in the immediate vicinity, but her search for him came up completely fruitless.

With a solid frown on her face, Hayate sighed in increasingly exasperated defeat and returned to check her traps finding them untouched. She took up a sentry point at the corner of the park far enough away from the traps to avoid frightening any cats. Secondarily, it allowed her to keep an eye out for Aizawa on any of the intersecting streets in case he came back to her location. After a minute of nothing, her frown had transitioned into a scowl at the pavement, and then her phone as she checked the time. Still no sign of him.

 _This is…_ _annoying_ _. Good grief, I should have gotten his number to text him. What is he doing? He must have had a good reason. But what? I told him to stay in touch in the instructions; he clearly wasn't paying attention. He didn't just leave… did he? No, of course he wouldn't. I'm being too hasty. He's disinterested in things, sure, but he wouldn't be irresponsible like that… maybe he just decided to set up a bit farther. I'm sure I just missed him. I'm sure he—_

"Hey."

Her inner dialogue was cut short by its subject matter, in the flesh. She quickly looked up and found Aizawa approaching from the down the street with a trap in each hand.

"Aizawa-san! Where'd you go? I was looking for you." Her eyes settled on the traps in confusion. "Have you not put those traps down yet?"

"These aren't the same traps. I took those back already."

Now that he mentioned it, she realized that the towels were different colors. "What do you mean you took them back?"

"I caught the cats. You said to take them back if they didn't have ear tips or collars. Anyway, I'm on my way back to the house again now." He looked over to the park where he presumed she set up her traps as he came to a stop in front of her. "There are two traps left at the house. Would you rather I use them or use the ones already set out and leave those two for the Tanakas?"

Ear tips and collars; checking-in with her _; so he_ _was_ _paying attention._ Her growing frustration died, but she had only a moment of ease before her eyes widened as she realized what he meant. _Wait a second!_ "Are you saying you've got two _more_ cats in there!?" She pointed at the cages he was carrying.

"Yes." He did not elaborate.

"You've caught _four_ cats?!"

"Yes." Still, he did not elaborate.

"Wha— _How?!_ It hasn't even been _ten_ _minutes!_ "

"I caught them." At her uncomprehending stare, he cocked his head a little with a bit of a humored expression at her expense. "That's what we're out here for, isn't it?"

It seemed like it was finally starting to dawn on her. "With… your Capturing Weapon?"

"Yeah." Aizawa saw her stupefied face and a smug smile settled on his lips. After so little reaction from her up to this point, that was nice. He gave a nonchalant little shrug and replied with a tone which suggested that it was the simplest matter in the world. "I'm a Pro."

Hayate absorbed that for a moment. In the time it had taken her to place and set up two traps, try and fail to look for him, and then give up and wait he had been busy catchy cats. _Four_ cats. In less than _ten_ minutes! _This was a Pro?!_ Hayate was suddenly aware that her jaw was hanging open somewhat. It clicked shut.

"… Not exactly according to plan, I guess, but… wow."

"Sorry to bail on your conversation plans, but standing around for fifteen minutes isn't a logical use of time."

"Good grief, you kind of just do things your own way, huh? A real trailblazer."

"It was the most logical course of action."

"Sheesh..." She still seemed a bit in awe, but quickly a new feeling was bubbling up from inside her and overtaking her features; burning curiosity. Her lips spread in a grin. "Okay, go put those cats away and come back here. Use the ones I just set; because I don't want to leave any traps unattended when I come and watch you!"

His smug look grew as he turned away with a sigh like it was a great chore. "Alright, alright…"

She watched him go with a grin remaining plastered to her face. _Four cats! Four! That's incredible! I've_ _gotta_ _see this._

Counting down the minutes to Aizawa's return with bated breath, the only thing that interrupted Hayate was the arrival of a cat to the park. Hayate observed the slim size of the white cat that poked its head out of the bushes and started slinking cautiously towards the trap under the bench. _One of the females? Possibly._

It was quite suspicious of the contraption. Circling around the bench, it sniffed all around the trap's sides and poked a paw in through the bars, trying to get at the food without going in. For a moment, Hayate's hopes raised as it crept up to the door and stepped just its front toes inside, but then it suddenly backpedaled and changed its mind going to sit a short distance away instead. _Come on, cat._ She kept her eyes on it the rest of the time she waited.

"Hey."

She jumped a little at the familiar voice suddenly sounding from behind her. "Gosh! Sneak up on the cats, not me."

Aizawa appeared unaffected by her response as she turned to face him. He looked past her to the white cat by the trap. "Got a taker, I see."

"Sort of… cat's pretty suspicious." Hayate faced forward again. "Circled the trap and thought about going in, but backed out."

"… Hm." He looked off to the edge of the park and started walking. "Wait here."

Hayate's eyes lit up. "Oh! You're going to catch it?"

"Just _wait here_."

With a bit of a pout, Hayate obliged. At first, her eyes followed him around the edge of the park until he crouched low and out of her sight behind some bushes. She lost him and was unable to catch sight of him again despite straining to see through the foliage around the small perimeter of the park, so Hayate switched her focus to the cat. Regardless of where he was, that was where he'd up. For about a minute, there was nothing. And then—

A long blur of gray fabric suddenly shot up out of the perimeter bushes and around a sturdy branch of a tree behind the cat. With a swift tug, Aizawa followed it. His feet had barely touched the bark before he alighted, springing off of it and going airborne. The fabric had already unwound itself, and in a fluid motion he twisted and sent it to strike the cat from above and behind. Feline hearing was enough for the cat to twist its head and take a step, but not enough to dodge as the fabric coiled around it like a serpent in an instant. Aizawa's feet touched the ground and the captured cat was zipped back to him effortlessly with an alarmed yowl, the feline bundle dangling from a coil like a giant yo-yo. His Quirk was clearly activated, hair defying gravity and red eyes gleaming. He looked down at the meowing cat and blinked, ending the hunt.

From her vantage point, Hayate watched this sequence of events slack-jawed. _Ho-ly shit._ That took all of about three seconds. _If_ that. This was a Pro?! Her eyes locked onto him as he looked her way expectantly, sporting a smirk brought on by the look on her face. No… _Aizawa_ was a Pro. It finally hit her then, seeing it in person. Aizawa Shouta; scruffy hobo teacher, sleeping bag enthusiast, train bench companion, coffee buddy, and enjoyer of cats was a Pro Hero, too.

Aizawa held up the cat a bit and called to her nonchalantly. "Got it."

She stirred. "I can _see_ that! Holy crap, what are you—a ninja?!" She jogged over, grinning with her eyes on the dangling cat. "That was amazing! It's like a perfect kitty burrito!"

His smirk vanished. "Uh—A what?"

"A kitty burrito! Normally we wrap them up in a towel, but this is a lot cooler." She came close and examined his handy work, then with a snicker, she looked up at him. "Oh! Or maybe it's _purr_ fect kitty burrito! Hahaha!"

While Hayate laughed, Aizawa looked appalled that his technique had been reduced to a bad pun. He scowled and moved a hand to the wrapping. "… I'm letting this cat go."

Hayate's laughter quickly fled. "Ah, no! Sorry! No more puns, I swear!" She flailed her hands.

His hand didn't leave the binding. " _Ever._ "

"Sure, sure." She had a sudden thought and pointed to the tail end of the cat. "Oh, but, uh, if you wouldn't mind unraveling just part of it. The tail end?"

He still had a scowl on his face over her poor excuse of humor but his hand shifted. A few quick movements later and the cat's back legs and wildly flicking tail were freed. "Like this?"

"Perfect!" She promptly stepped close and lifted its tail to check its junk.

Aizawa stared at her, slowly blinked, then looked away. Okay, realistically, he should have seen that coming when she specified 'tail end', but with the bad pun in the way it didn't register until now.

"Female. Great catch!" She looked up at him with a smile and caught the look on his face. "What?"

"Nothing. It's logical."

"Heh, you didn't check those other cats, by chance?"

"You didn't include that in the instructions."

"Ah. Well, fair enough." She moved over to the trap under the bench. "Alright! Let's get her put away. Five cats down, and it's been what, less than fifteen minutes? This is fantastic! I've never trapped cats this fast. We should head over to where the Tanakas are, too. Maybe all of the cats can be caught today, even. If the rest are caught this fast, this will be over in no time!"

Aizawa watched her mutely as she moved the trap. This moment of heroic action was not going quite as he had expected. In his mind, this should have fully imparted to her exactly who and what he was, something that he felt had not been fully expressed through conversation alone based on her relative indifference to him being a Pro. Instead, she seemed to be taking it _too_ well; by totally taking this in stride and making full use of the situation. From coffee buddy to exploitable cat-catching Pro in an instant; Jeez, she was quick.

As she adjusted the doors of the trap, Hayate's excited hands suddenly stopped. She looked up at him and met his eyes. "Thank you, Aiza—Eraser Head." It caught him off-guard, eyelids raising as he stared back. She held his gaze with an earnest smile spreading her lips. "Couldn't have done it without you."

Heat pricked his neck and he clamped his free hand down on it as he quickly looked away with a grumble. "Yeah, yeah, jeez, let's get this over with…"

"Is that your heroic spirit? Haha!"

"Meh…"

She finished with the doors and Aizawa approached. A quick and tidy movement made for a smooth exchange of cat from bindings into cage and Hayate closed the door behind the feline and locked it.

"Great, one down, one to go." She looked over at the other trap by the bushes. "Do you want me to get the other trap?"

"Mm… leave it there. You said the cats will be expecting food. The scent will draw them here, and that makes my job easier."

"Makes sense." She looked at him with a bit of a hopeful smile rising. "So then, are you going to hold up here and wait for them to come to you?"

"Heh, you wish." He turned away. "I bet you're just brimming with ridiculous questions now."

Hayate's smile seized up. _Am I that obvious or is he just that suspicious?!_ "It's not just that! I told you I wanted to watch, didn't I?"

He didn't stop walking away. "You just did."

"But you caught her _so_ fast!"

"It'll be just as fast a second time."

Hayate hesitated, taking a small step after him. "Fine, I'll just come with you."

"Nah, I work best alone." He looked back at her over his shoulder, still walking. "Besides, you said it yourself; you don't want to leave the traps unattended when you watch me. Wouldn't want someone messing with them, especially with that cat there."

"Couldn't you just, stash them on a roof or something? You climbed a tree in less than a second!"

He gave a disapproving hum. "Hmmm, illegally using someone's private property like that?" He looked forward again. "That's a rather criminal suggestion."

Hayate scowled. "You could just _ask_ the homeowner."

Aizawa made a full-stop. He swiveled around to look at her with an incredulously raised eyebrow. "You think I want to talk to people?"

 _That line was probably the most honest thing he's said._ But it didn't satisfy Hayate, who thought with pursed lips for a moment then tried again stubbornly. "So you're going to go off on your own again and just leave me standing here, huh? Seems you've given me the short stick here."

Aizawa considered the disappointment on her face, and his own expression softened a little. _Trying to guilt me, huh?_ And the annoying part was that it was actually effective. He looked away from her a little, rubbing his neck. "Hm… If I see one heading your way, I'll let it get in your sights first. How's that sound?"

Hayate could sense she wasn't going to get any better than that despite a bit of a pout. "Mmm… Fine, I suppose."

"Alright." Aizawa started walking again. "I'll be around."

Hayate watched him walk away in silence for a few seconds, then sighed. She turned and carried the trapped cat over to the bench, took the trap's towel off briefly to wipe a spot free from rain droplets, then sat down. She rested her chin heavily on her hand, slumped forward a bit with a frown and looking out at nothing in particular as she thought. _I brought him along thinking we'd be working together, but he's really showing me up at my own game here._

She stewed on that thought for a minute, then her brow softened a little. _… Well, that's not fair. We are working together, but just in his own way. There's nothing conventional about that guy._ The frown died out, and after a moment or two, it was replaced by a faint smile. _Perhaps… that's why he is interesting after all._

Though Hayate didn't notice it, as Aizawa walked away, he looked back over his shoulder watching her take a seat on the bench. _"_ _Thank you, Aiza—Eraser Head."_ The look of earnest gratitude in her eyes then had left him unsettled. He felt like he had to get out of there; a knee-jerk reaction to the nonsensical, flustered sensation it spurred.

Aizawa's head straightened again. _Well… people aren't usually so forward with aiming comments like that my way, of course_ , he reasoned. Catching cats his way was just doing the logical thing. But however unnecessary, she acknowledged not just his actions, but also his expertise by calling him by his Hero Name; it was subtle, but her changed view of _him_ was conveyed. A faint smile came to his lips.

… _I suppose neither of us is bad company._

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	9. Catcaptor Aizawa: Part 2

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 _Catcaptor Aizawa: Part 2_

If Hayate had to guess, it was a tomcat she was looking at judging from its dish-shaped face. The big gray cat stepped delicately out into the open from between two houses and towards the little park, clearly following its nose. But Hayate didn't spare it much attention. Instead, her eyes flicked around the area in anticipation, scanning for Aiza— _Eraser Head_. She locked onto him as he came into view on a roof behind the approaching cat, clearly tailing it. His face shifted in her direction and he gave a lazy two-finger wave acknowledging her gaze. She barely dared to blink as his attention shifted back to the cat for fear of missing anything.

His eyes flashed red and his hair and Capturing Weapon sprang to life. Eraser Head leapt off the roof without hesitation, a thread of fabric whipping forward to a telephone pole across the street and swinging him forward. Simultaneously, the other end of the weapon was unfurled, and with a quick twist of his body and flick of his arm and wrist, it was sent racing downward to the cat below him now. The feline never saw him coming.

 _Meoowww!_

The cat let out a shocked yowl as it was bound and pulled up after Eraser as he swung forward on the secured thread of fabric. He took hold of the cat-end thread firmly just above the furry bundle in his right hand while his left manipulated the other end of the fabric with a tug to control his descent into a smooth and slight upswing, then let go landing lightly on his feet back on solid ground. His eyes closed prompting his hair and Capture Weapon to settle down, and then he relaxed into a familiar slouch as he turned in Hayate's direction and looked down at the cat dangling in his arm as it gave a mournful and loud _meaaoow_.

 _He's so fast!_ The agility he displayed amazed Hayate again. It was the complete opposite of what she had come to expect from him after weeks of his slumped posture, sluggish mannerisms, and bundled-up morning naps. And how quickly he settled back into that sloth-like persona as well, practically dragging his feet with his drooping eyes set on her as he walked over.

 _Meaaoow!_

"Noisy one." Aizawa glanced down at the cat as it called loudly again.

"Well, after that, I'd probably be feeling quite sorry for myself, too." Hayate walked forward to meet Aizawa with an uncontainable grin. "That _was_ just as fast as the first time."

"Can't afford to give them even a moment to react. They'll just bolt and try to hide. That's troublesome," Aizawa supplied in monotone, coming to a stop in front of her.

Hayate noticed then that Aizawa had wrapped this cat differently from the first. The white one had been completely wrapped like a burrito with just her head poking out. This gray one had binding all down its torso pinning its legs to its body, but the tail was flicking freely and the back end was uncovered; it would make it easy to check the cat's sex. _Coincidence?_ She wondered if it was simply a result of his different manner of approach, but then Aizawa raised the cat-on-a-string with the tail end facing her way expectantly. _No… He adjusted his technique accordingly from just that one occurrence. Incredible._

Hayate stepped forward and lifted the tail. _Yep._ "Male." She looked at the cat's face. "Thought so, with those big cheeks."

The cat looked at her with big pupils. _Meaoow!_

It garnered a sympathetic look from her in return. "Looking scared, big guy." She glanced back at Aizawa and turned to start walking as she talked, prompting him to follow after her.

"I imagine being caught in one of the traps would be less stressful than suddenly wrapped up, but given the number of cats around here, how fast and accurately you can catch them, and the one-time nature of this capturing—I think it balances out fine against the alternative of camping out for hours and maybe still not catching some of them despite the effort. But of course, I'm sure that's what you already logically figured."

"Mm, yeah. Some people would still complain I'm sure, but I don't have a problem being 'tough' when necessary," he replied indifferently.

' _Tough' huh? Doesn't surprise me._ "Once he's in the trap it'll be easier on him at any rate. They always calm down once the towel's over them. The darkness helps and they can't see other cats and such."

"Hmm…" Aizawa hummed and looked down in thought, musing aloud. "Guess I'll cover the eyes, next time."

Hayate paused, looking at him interestedly. "Cover them with the Capturing Weapon? You can adjust it, just like that?"

"Mm-hm."

 _Huh…_ Her eyes settled on the bindings around his neck and the cat, studying them. On close inspection, they didn't seem to be made from standard cloth. There was a metallic sort of look to them; a subtle sheen. _He wouldn't answer if it was made with his hair, but what_ _is_ _it made out of…?_

Hayate kept watch of the suddenly very interesting and mysterious fabric until her eyes were forcibly drawn away from them to focus on the trap. Same as before, she got the doors ready while Aizawa stood by with the meowing tomcat. When she was ready, he transferred the cat with one smooth motion and then she closed the door behind him and put the towel over the trap.

"Let's take these two back to the house." Hayate's eyes set to the side for a moment as she thought. "Taking into account, well, _you_ , it would probably be best if the Tanakas take care of the captured cats getting them set up for the night while we take over their trapping area. So we can head that way after."

"Logical."

Aizawa bent and took hold of the handle for the grey tomcat's trap, and Hayate went over to the bench where the white female's trap was. Once she picked it up and headed over, they started walking together back to the house. In the following silence, Hayate's eyes returned once again to the fabric around his neck. They flicked up to Aizawa's eyes which were looking straight ahead.

"… Hey, do you mind if I ask—what is it made out of?" She pointed at the Capturing Weapon.

His eyes flicked her way, following her finger. "… Carbon fibers and a special alloy wire."

"A metal cloth… Is it hard?"

"…" He studied her for a few moments, thinking. Her eyes lifted to his at his silence. He held her gaze for a moment, then he looked down at the coils and stopped walking. Hayate stopped too in response, watching him as he set the trap down and brought his hands up to unfurl a few coils. Then, Aizawa held them out to her. She had already taken care of his sleeping bag; he could trust her enough to hold his Capturing Weapon for a few moments.

Hayate looked surprised at the offering. She checked his eyes as if to make sure it was alright, found them neutral, then set down her trap and reached for the fabric. He dropped it slowly into her hands then settled his own into his pockets to watch her. Hayate took the coils of cloth in her hands and drew them closer to herself for inspection.

She looped the Capturing Weapon around her hand and tugged lightly, getting a feel for it. _A little hard, but flexible… like a seatbelt._ She ran her thumb along it. There was a little bit of coarseness, like high-grit sandpaper; enough to catch on itself or objects without slipping right off, she reasoned. She gathered it in both hands and moved it about in a testing manner. It easily twisted, folded, and bent to her manipulations, but sturdily resisted being stretched; _makes sense, someone could escape if they could stretch it out._ She then shifted her hold, sliding her thumb along its thin edge lightly. _Not sharp per se, but not pleasant. He wouldn't want to cut himself, of course… maybe also like a seatbelt. Like a metal seatbelt._

"Can you cut through it?"

"… Not easily. It's metal. But with the right knife or enough force."

"Electrocution would pose a danger though, wouldn't it?"

"That's what Eraser's for."

"Well, electric Quirks, sure, but not if it touched a power line."

" _I can identify a power line_."

"Of course, heheh…" She went quiet, her features thoughtful. "It's a very simple concept, but done well. Watching you use it, it seems so versatile; you make it move so effortlessly that it seems to have a mind of its own." Her hands went still for a few moments as she looked at it quietly, and then she smiled a little. "… That's cool." Her eyes lingered on it for another second then looked up at him.

Aizawa was looking at her intently, droopy-eyed disinterest completely absent. The focus in them left her taken aback with the smile on her lips dying out. Neither of them moved for a long moment, then Hayate broke contact looking down and clearing her throat a little. "… Thank you." She held the end of the Capturing Weapon out to him.

He stirred at that, blinking and looking down at it. "… Hm." He reached for it. Hayate kept her eyes on the coils, feeling shy out of nowhere. They shifted to his hands for the exchange though. His hands stopped underneath hers expecting her to drop the coils there as he had done in the previous exchange passing them to her. When her hands didn't move, his eyes flicked back up to her face. Her eyes seemed focused on his hands. She blinked, they flicked up to meet his, then quickly back down again as she dropped the cloth into his hands.

Her hands pulled away wordlessly to settle on the cat trap and in her pocket as she looked straight ahead while he looped the cloth around his neck with a few quick flicks then picked up his trap again as well. They both started walking again without a sound. That had all felt rather… _odd_.

Aizawa's eyes flicked down to his weapon, and his free hand came up to hook the top coils with his fingers lightly. Outside of himself and Support companies, anyone paying his Hero equipment that much attention was rare. Her eyes were curious and thoughtful, and her hands meticulous though careful; respectful. She aimed to understand it thoroughly. For some reason, these observations roused an unsettled feeling in his stomach again. He frowned then let the cloth go and put his free hand into his pocket, stuffing that feeling down with it.

 _His hands… they're so rough looking. I've never noticed that before. It must be from the Capturing Weapon sliding past his fingers all the time… it would take a lot of use to build up the skin like that._ An image of them when Hayate handed back the cloth lingered in her mind. Pale like the rest of him, but lean and strong. Veins stood out over the muscle creating details and shadows her eyes could trace… her eyes were dry. Hayate blinked. She'd been staring off at nothing. _Wait, why am I…?_ She shook her head a little, shaking off this thought and the image it carried. Her eyes turned back to Aizawa.

"I'm kind of surprised you'd let me know this much about your Pro Hero equipment."

He glanced her way then forward again and shrugged. "Eh, every Pro has to expect their Quirk and equipment to be pretty much common knowledge. Anyone would figure out its metal properties after fighting me once. It wouldn't take someone long to find more details online, either… All the more reason for people to not care about looking me up at all."

She looked at him teasingly. "It seems kind of silly now that I thought you'd use it like a lasso."

He scowled heavily at that. _Seriously? That was her first thought?_ "I'm not a cowboy."

"Cleary. You're a ninja."

"I'm not Edgeshot, either."

"So you're not a ninja? Well, you're a cut or two above the average hobo, so I'm not sure what to call you."

He 'tisked' in annoyance and brought a hand to his neck. "Jeez, you're cruel. I'm none of that. If you have to call me something, I'm a capture specialist. My expertise is in short-range ambush attacks."

Hayate's teasing demeanor vanished. "… So what you're saying is that earlier I was trying to teach a _capture specialist_ how to _capture_ cats?"

He gave her a pointed look. " _Uh-huh._ "

… _Whoops. No wonder he looked bored listening to trapping instructions._ " _Well_ … gosh, I kinda feel like an amateur now!" Hayate gave a self-deprecating laugh, cheeks tinted hot with embarrassment as she looked away.

Aizawa took a moment of self-satisfaction in her response before replying. "… Well, I wouldn't call that anything to worry about." He looked forward. "Pro Heroes tend to have that effect. That's the standard we aim to set, after all. Mine are, as standards go, exceptionally high."

 _Standards, huh?_ She looked him over again; messy hair, scruff, wrinkled black clothes. _Not standards for appearance. And his conduct…_ Cold-shouldered, disinterested, unenergetic. _Outwardly, he completely lacks a heroic presence._ Her eyes shifted down to the traps with cats within. _Standards… results._ Four cats in less than ten minutes. A spark reached her eyes.

 _Appearance, conduct, popularity, a name… all superficial._ The bags under his eyes; _if you had only the energy to care about one thing, it would be the thing that mattered most. Catching cats… saving people._ Her eyes snapped up to his, a piece of the puzzle sliding into place as she ran onward with a resurgence of questions on her mind; not for Aizawa Shouta this time, but for Eraser Head.

"Um, earlier, about your Hero Name… You don't hear about Pros like that much. A Hero Name is like a brand name these days. It carries significant weight, business-wise. I mean, even All Might's a household name, great as he is… well, actually, I guess you don't hear about them because they don't want that attention, huh?"

"I'm an underground type. We don't care about any of that stuff. What of it?"

"It seems to me that it would be easy to get distracted by all those things, but you really don't care about them at all. Saving people without asking for any recognition in return; that's the core of being a hero, isn't it? You might not be very interesting, but you're a straightforward and simple hero, huh?"

He glanced at her for a few moments in silence then looked away. "… It's not anything special."

"Heh, there you go downplaying again."

"I don't downplay anything. It's just logical."

 _Logical, huh? It always seems to come back to that with him._ She studied him slowly, looking him over. _… Is it really logical to be a Pro, though? With the difficulties and the dangers, and all the publicity annoyances he avoids. Just keeping his head down out of the spotlight and working to save people… Logically, wouldn't there be a more practical way to live and help people?_

"Have you always wanted to be like that?"

"Like what?"

"An underground Hero."

"Why wouldn't I be? Anything else would be irrational."

She tried to picture a young Aizawa aspiring to be a no-name Pro back at the age when every kid had stars in their eyes for the big names. A smile broke across her face. "… I bet you were an interesting kid."

"Not really."

"Hahaha!"

"How was that funny?"

"Dunno! Guess just imagining it."

"… Hm." He sported a frown and looked away.

"… Hey, Aizawa-san, why did you become a Pro Hero?"

"…" When he didn't answer immediately, she looked at him curiously. His face was unreadable and looking straight ahead. He was quiet for a while; long enough that it built up her suspense into thinking he might not reply, and then he answered. "Becoming a Pro Hero was the most logical way to utilize my Quirk. It's not much good for anything other than diffusing a Quirk-powered situation, and that only leaves being a Pro, police officer, prison guard, personal protection—that sort of thing. And taking my pick, I prefer to work alone and on my own terms according to my own schedule."

"… So, you're a Pro Hero because you get to do things the way you want to?" That sounded… a bit less selfless than she'd been picturing him as.

"Don't get me completely wrong. Of course, I care about the welfare of others more so than my own. But that's a prerequisite to any such field. What it comes down to is playing to strengths. Out of the available occupations which I was interested in pursuing; in the position that best suited my Quirk; under terms that I personally found the most agreeable—such circumstances are simply the best use of my full potential for the betterment of society."

He said it like it was the simplest matter in the world, but to Hayate, whose face flooded with a dawning realization, it was a profound look into his mindset. It was a cold, hard, logical self-assessment on his part which determined his future. _He became a Pro Hero because it was the most logical thing to do._ A crucial piece of the puzzle fit into place. This was a man who was logical to his very core.

And that immediately impressed her. They continued walking to the house in companionable silence. Every so often, Hayate's eyes slid furtively to the side to look at Aizawa; now in a new light.

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

Back at the house, Hayate and Aizawa put the pair of cats they carried alongside the other four cats that Aizawa had already captured. A bag of open tuna in oil was sitting on top of one of the traps alongside a plastic spoon.

"So that's what you did with that food I gave you?"

"Yeah. Figured I'd give it to them when I brought them back here since I didn't need it otherwise."

Hayate peeked in at them. "Good thinking. We can give these last two some…"

The last of the bag was split between the white female and the grey male, then Hayate looked to the wall in the garage. There were no other empty traps remaining.

"The Tanakas must have gotten their last two. Let's just head over and see how they're going." Aizawa agreed mutely and off they went.

"Hey, Tanaka-san!"

"Hayate-san? What are you doing over here for?" Maiko looked confused.

"Well, turns out Aizawa-san has a… 'knack' for catching cats, so thanks to him we've got six of them already."

"Six?!"

"Yeah! Crazy, right? Anyway. You two can head back to the house and get those cats set up. We'll take care of catching the rest of the cats since Aizawa-san's good at that."

Aizawa smirked at her wording and the look on Maiko's face.

"W-Well, that's great news, I suppose! Hideaki's traps are on the other side of the construction site." A partially constructed home was erected behind her. There seemed to be several homes in development in this immediate area, and Aizawa studied them thinking about all the possibilities for cat hiding places and ambush sites.

A thought suddenly crossed Maiko's face. "Oh! You two might want to head over there. He texted me—the mother with kittens showed up."

Hayate looked alert at that, and Aizawa looked back at Maiko. "Oh, that's great! How long ago was that?"

"Well, between the time where he set one trap up over there and then went back and got the last two at the house and brought them back… he said he might have startled her a little by showing up again, but he set the traps up and backed off. I think not having put any food the last day was good, it made her eager to come out."

"Yeah…" Hayate looked over to Aizawa to explain. "Tanaka-san's been trying to catch this cat since well before she met me. She's a really feral cat and runs at the drop of a dime. Her kittens will go with her."

"Hm. Troublesome." His fingers twitched in his pockets. Sounded like a good challenge. "Well, let's go then."

"Yeah. See you back at the house, Tanaka-san."

Hayate and Aizawa walked down the narrow alley perimeter around the house. Hayate's eyes were set out far and searching, so Aizawa took it as a good sign to do the same. As they rounded the backside of the house, the first thing that they spotted was the cats. The cats spotted them, too.

Momma cat was white with a black hat and lopsided saddle patch. As soon as she locked them in her bright green sights, she bolted into the partially constructed site. Four white kittens with various spot configurations resembling hers took her lead abandoning a trail of splattered tuna bits leading into one of the traps.

Hayate puffed her cheeks. "… Well, shoot."

"Mm…" Aizawa eyed the half-baked building. Just as he suspected; both a useful vantage point and a troublesome obstacle.

"Hayate-san!" A familiar voice called to them in a hushed manner, and they both looked to see Hideaki motioning for them to come over about two houses down across the street. They obliged and joined him in a huddle with eyes aimed back at the construction house.

"She'll just bolt like that every time. Can't get close at all. Normally doesn't even come out for food unless it's Sunday like today or late in the evening when the workers aren't there. I trailed some food into the traps, but that cat's never even touched a trap."

"I see… thank you. Aizawa-san and I took care of six cats at the other site and they're all back at the house. Go on and head back there, we'll keep watch over her and the kittens here."

" _Six_ cats?"

"Heh, yep. Maiko-san is going back to the house now, so you two just worry about getting those cats squared away. Alright?"

Hideaki still amazed. "But how did you get so many cats so quick?"

Hayate looked at Aizawa and smiled. "He's good with cats."

Hideaki looked at Aizawa too, his brow furrowed for a moment, then his face brightened. "Ah, is that your Quirk?"

"Something like that," Aizawa muttered in reply.

"Eh?" Hideaki didn't seem to get that half-hearted response.

"Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it," Hayate assured.

"Well… alright. But don't feel too pressured, Hayate-san. And Aizawa-san. She's a slippery one!"

"Got it!" Hayate sent Hideaki off with a wave and a reassuring smile. Once he was around the bend and out of sight, Hayate's smile slipped to the side in a slight grimace as she leaned a little to Aizawa. "… You _can_ take care of it, right Aizawa-san?"

"Heh." He smirked. "Aren't you supposed to make sure you can keep a promise before you make it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you complaining that I'm giving you _too much_ credit?"

"Eh…" Aizawa's expression turned a bit more alert as he got serious. _If the mother bolted out into the open it would be one thing, but there's a hundred places to slink off to inside that building, and based on her reaction just now she definitely knows it; a literal 'safe house'. Follow her and she'll just go to another hiding place, or make a run outside without anyone seeing her. Add four kittens, and it might as well be whack-a-mole. Jeez._ "What's the priority: kittens or mother?"

"Mmmm… I'd say the mother. She can get pregnant again while still nursing them, so even if we got all the kittens today, if we missed her she'd just have more in a couple weeks. If we miss the kittens, they look old enough to be nearly weaned and we can keep putting food out for them until they're caught. If any of them are female, we've got a couple of months at least before their first heat so there's time to capture them." Hayate paused for a moment then added, "Although, _ideally_ we keep the mother with the kittens. If you can do that."

"Cheh, yeah, yeah…" Aizawa assessed her information and ran scenarios through his mind. _When they're at the food is the best moment to strike. Given how flighty the mother is, she'd prioritize safety over food, so if the first strike on her misses that's pretty much it. But the kittens… hm. If they could all be clustered again like they were just now, maybe…_ "If the kittens are captured, will the mother come to them?"

Hayate seemed surprised he'd come up with that suggestion. "I've caught mother cats like that before… put the kittens somewhere that she can only reach by going into a trap." She thought about it for a moment then looked at him. "But these kittens are older and more mobile. They might scatter in every direction if you come dropping in on them. It'd be better to aim for the mother than to just get one or two of the kittens…" Her eyes widened slightly. "Unless you're thinking you can catch all of them?"

He observed the building for a moment, then silently took a bottle of eye drops out of his pocket. After depositing a drop in each of his eyes wordlessly, he put the bottle back in his pocket then looked over at Hayate with nothing but a faint smirk. At that moment, Hayate could tell. _He's going for it._

 _Well, jeez, she signed me up for a promise so I guess I've gotta do it… Plus Ultra._ "Just wait here and watch." One agile sequence with his Capturing Weapon later, Aizawa was on a roof and running towards the construction building. Hayate watched with an expression torn between disbelief and excitement.

The next several minutes consisted of the waiting game with all eyes fixed on the feeding area. Hayate couldn't see where Aizawa went, but based on what she'd seen of his moves so far she figured he was either in or right next to the construction building. After a few minutes of fidgeting and checking the time on her phone, Hayate's eyes locked onto the mother cat as she peeked her head from out of the building.

The mother cat scanned the area carefully and sniffed all around before carefully venturing out into the open and back over to the food. She began to eat, and this seemed to serve as a signal of safety to the kittens who filed out after her and gathered around her to feed. Hayate's eyes flicked around in anticipation, but Aizawa was nowhere to be seen.

Until he suddenly jumped out of a second-story window frame in the partially-constructed building. Her heart gave a small lurch at that despite seeing that one end of his Capturing Weapon was secured somewhere unseen inside the building from its position. The cloth-end on his right-hand side shot down, directly over the feline family; simultaneously, he rappelled down the building a bit to a safe jumping distance using the secured cloth end and his left hand. The first strike of the right-hand cloth end expertly wrapped up two closely positioned kittens in a single burrito from behind before they had even registered his presence.

Aizawa whipped them back to himself as he landed on the ground dropping into a crouch, the secured left-hand cloth having already be loosed. He sprung back up on his toes and twisted the descending left strand down in loops aimed for the remaining two kittens. They had frozen up from the shock, but one more so than the other. Only one was caught in the attempted double-burrito as the other leaped straight up as if on springs and started scrambled in an unplanned zig-zag of panic, for Aizawa was suddenly stationed in front of their usual hiding place of the building.

"Tch." The Pro adjusted quickly to this though with a slight grimace of annoyance, eyes squinting. He pulled the left-hand kitten bundle back close to himself and adjusted his grip to whip the length of the cloth between both ends out in a loop on the heels of the fleeing kitten. It was a race down to the literal metal wire with the end of the loop making it just in time to snap closed around the kitten's hind legs. The kitten stumbled abruptly to the ground, and before it scrambled up again, Aizawa was already whipping it back and making two more loops around it to secure its body sufficiently.

 _MEEEOOOW!_

 _MEOW!_

 _MAOOOOW!_

 _MEEEW!_

One, two, three, four loudly squealing and squirming kittens snuggly wrapped in his Capturing Weapon. Aizawa closed his eyes for a moment, shoulders slumping. "Whew…" _That was close._

Meanwhile, Hayate looked astounded. _Wow! He really did it!_ She ran over at once as he straightened up and reeled in the fourth kitten. "That was fantastic! Here, the trap…!" She moved quickly, getting the closest trap prepared and bring it next to him. "They can all go in together."

She tilted the trap up slightly and he lightly dunked the yelling kitten bundles in one at a time and freed their contents. Hayate closed the door and locked it then set the trap flat, though folded the towel back so that it only half-covered the trap. She paused then to look at Aizawa with a grin.

"I don't want to say I didn't think you could do it, but I didn't think your odds were high either!"

"Mm… guess I'd be offended if that wasn't the truth." Aizawa's eyes settled back on the building. "Mother went in there, I'm guessing? I wasn't watching her."

"Yeah, the instant you got the first two kittens she was out of here."

"Well, we've got our bait, now." He turned his attention back to the noisy gang in the trap. Squealing, yowling, clambering over each other… his eyes softened a bit. Okay, that was a sad sight. He lowered onto his haunches to address them poking a finger at the bars. "Sorry, kittens. Tough love." They were unimpressed with his apology and hissed at their capturer. He seemed a little put out by that, finger drooping.

Hayate smiled at their exchange, though, savoring it for a moment before she glanced at the building. "They're so noisy that I think she'll want to come back right away. We should go wait at a distance for her to come out."

"Mm, right." He stood up, and the two of them walked back to their previous sentry spot to wait the mother out. There was a building with overhanging eaves there providing a dry strip along the wall. Aizawa squatted down resting his back against the wall a little, and Hayate joined him on his left with a bit of space between them. She looked his way interestedly while he took out his eye drops.

"How did you know you'd catch them all?"

"I didn't." He put a drop in his left eye. "It was a gamble." Then a drop in his right. "However, I felt the odds were favorable." He put the bottle away then flexed his hand.

"I've already warmed up on a few cats. I'm feeling loose today, and my aim is spot-on. The kittens are slower and less experienced than an adult cat, so I figured they wouldn't respond as quickly to the capture especially if they were surprised. Their placement close together was also good for multi-capture attempts." He paused for a moment, then gave an almost relieved look. "Though I'll admit, I almost lost that last kitten."

Hayate stared at him. "… That's just incredible."

"Eh, it's nothing special. It's just a matter of survival." He looked contemplative for a moment, his expression going neutral. "… The thing about Pros like me is that we don't have overwhelming power or anything like that. Skill, technique, experience, conditioning… if we lack these things, then we'll just get killed."

Hayate went still at that. Her eyes stayed pinned on him as if waiting for something more for him to add to that, but he made neither sound nor motion. Slowly, she looked forward, her brow creased. Though the tone of his voice was level, to Hayate, that only made the feeling that suddenly struck her sadder.

 _He just wants to be invisible. His whole appearance, his whole demeanor, reflects that. And if he died tonight out fighting a villain… he wouldn't be remembered as some great hero. It would be as a weird hobo guy, just like I thought of him. Maybe he wouldn't even make the news, or if he did it would be a brief bit, because hardly anybody knows his name._ Her lips pursed, and her hands curled a little. _… Even so, he still does it._

"… I'm sorry."

He glanced over at her softly spoken words. She looked troubled. He looked forward again, still neutral. "Don't be. It's just how it is."

"Um, I mean… about before… sorry that I judged you based on first glance." Faint surprise did register at that. He looked back at her, questioningly this time. She had a regrettable expression, avoiding eye contact. "… And second glance. I should really know better than to judge a book by its cover. I've read some great books with really boring covers." She smiled and gave a chuckle. "I'm glad you came, and that I got to see that." Her head turned, eyes meeting his and staying there. "Maybe no one would think it just by looking at you, but… you're a cool guy."

Aizawa looked startled. His eyes darted away from hers quickly down to the ground. "That's… I don't…"

"I know, I know... you don't care about that kind of stuff. It doesn't matter, right? You're not in it for the popularity." She looked forward, still smiling. "But I'll be cheering Eraser Head on, anyway."

A pulse of warmth radiated out through his chest, heat reaching up to his cheeks as he pinned his gaze on the ground in front of his boots. She didn't have to thank him. Or apologize. Or acknowledge him. Any of that. He never asked for it, went looking for it, or expected it. From anyone. He didn't care what people thought of him. He told them not to bother, even. Told her straight that it didn't matter. But she did it, anyway. It mattered to _her_. She wanted him to know that she was wrong about him, admitting her mistake. It was so unlike people to do that at all, but for him? This feeling was… something unsettling, but pleasant. This feeling was completely irrational. But he liked it, anyway.

His eyes flicked her way for a moment, and then the opposite way. His right hand slid up to rub his neck and clamp down it. He looked her way again, then straight ahead.

"… Hey, all this Q&A stuff is rather one-sided. Kind of an unbalanced trade, wouldn't you say?"

"Hm…?" She looked back over at him. "… I suppose it is." A teasing smirk crossed her lips. "So? What about it?"

He glanced at her smirk then straight again, a ghost of a smile tugging his lips while his right hand stayed at his neck. "… Why be a vet tech? You seem sharp enough to make it as a vet."

"Hmm… that's a good question…" She leaned her head back, thinking. "Why not a vet… When you're the veterinarian, you're sort of the captain of the ship. I've never wanted the starring role. I'll take any role but that and even wear half a dozen hats in supporting roles no problem, but I don't want that spotlight on me… I didn't have the confidence to enroll in vet school back then in the first place, either.

Being a vet is a long commitment with schooling and expenses, too, and I've never been interested enough in doing surgeries, diagnosis, research, and making treatment plans… watching the vets at the hospital I work at was my first personal exposure to what they do daily, and they spend a good chunk of time at their desks. I'm not really into that.

On the other hand… Outside of things reserved for vets like surgery, a vet tech does everything. In a single day, I can take X-rays, draw and run urinalysis and blood tests, perform a dental, do callbacks, educate clients, and then finish it off with something as mundane as a nail trim and puppy kisses. At some point, you don't need any more vets at the top, but you're always going to need someone somewhere with the skills of a vet tech as support underneath, and I like being that someone."

"Hm… that's some pretty thorough reasoning."

"Well, if I'm going to do anything, it's think it to death." Hayate went quiet for a few moments, then added with a cheeky smile, "As for 'why a vet tech': I've always felt I've gotten along easier with animals than people. I wanted to do something in the medical field where I could help someone, so with human or animal nursing in mind—if I had to choose between wiping a person's ass or a dog's, I'd pick the dog's."

Aizawa made a face. "Well… that's… some logic."

"Hahahah! Hey, you know it's going to come up as a nurse either way. Some gross humor just comes with the job."

"Eh…" _That's a_ _different_ _kind of lousy humor._ He tried shifting topics."… Sounds like you do a lot of things, huh?"

"Yeah, I like being well-rounded and doing a bit of everything." She looked with his way a smirk. "I bet a generalist approach like that sounds exhausting to you, though. Seems you barely have enough energy for one specialization."

"Hmph… yeah." Aizawa was silent for a bit. "… Gotta favorite thing in all of that?"

She responded immediately. "Dentals, definitely."

"You're a dentist, too?"

"To some extent. You see what I mean? A vet tech has a hand in everything. So yeah, dentals. I think it's very satisfying to have a dog or cat come in with god-awful teeth and leave with pearly whites."

"… Huh." More like _ew_ , being up in a dog's nasty mouth like that in the first place, but to each their own. Taking a less appealing direction than he was aiming for with this conversation. He rubbed his neck and wracked his brain for a few moments. _Okay, change topics…_

Hayate watched him secretly from the corner of her eye, a humored smile on her face. He really struggled with 'people things' from the look of it.

"Well, you know quite a lot about my Quirk. What's yours?"

Hayate's smile seized up. "Ah…" Her eyes shifted away from him. "Well, it's a bit awkward…" Her voice trailed off, descending into her thoughts. _I knew it would come up some time, but…_ Her stomach sank a little. _I've enjoyed today a lot… What if it weirds him out? He'd probably be okay with it… even though it is annoying—_

At her silence, Aizawa looked over at her. Seeing the hesitation on her face and putting it together with her words, his eyelids lifted a little as he drew his own conclusion. "Are you Quirkless?"

 _Huh?_ She looked at him sharply, caught off-guard by a response she wasn't expecting.

Her quick glance made it seem logical to Aizawa that he had hit the mark. He looked forward. "Guess I shouldn't have assumed. It's uncommon these days."

She froze up for a moment then looked away. "Uh… R-Right, it is uncommon…" _Uhhh, but that's not right._ Her eyes flick back at him nervously. _Good grief, what do I say now…? Come on, Aika! Don't be an idiot. He shared his Pro Hero identity. He'll be fine with it. It's only as awkward as you make it._ She licked her lips then opened her mouth. "Um… actually—"

Aizawa shifted forward suddenly, his eyes alert and fixed on something in the distance. Hayate stopped short and followed his eyes back to the constructed house. The mother cat was starting to slink out into the open. She looked back to Aizawa as he stood up.

"That didn't take long."

"Uh, no, it didn't…" She stood up too, but her eyes were on him and not the cat as she bit her lip. Um… _It can wait. Priorities._

"Wait here."

Aizawa took to the rooftops again and Hayate watched him go uncertainty lingering. When he went out of her sight, her eyes shifted to the mother cat. The mother had reached the trap with the kittens and was frantically circling it now, trying to figure out how to reach them while they pawed at her and called loudly. Her movements were quick and she kept switching between looking around for danger and changing which direction she was circling in. Hayate looked expectantly at the constructed building to the window frame he had jumped out of before. _Is he going to do that again, I wonder?_

As it turned out; no. He leaped off the closest corner of the roof next to the constructed building at an angle in-line with the cats. Both ends of the Capturing Weapon shot forward in his hands; the right end securing to the exposed frame of the constructed building and the left going on the offensive in a rush for the mother cat.

With nearly superhuman reflexes herself, the female cat detected the ghost of a sound he made and bolted perhaps on instinct alone. The first strike of the cloth missed, but his placement of the secured cloth had been strategic just in case this occurred. Aizawa tugged the secured right cloth in order to pull himself to the front side of the constructed building, positioning himself above where he anticipated the mother would make a beeline for, while whipping the offensive left cloth downward to cut her off before she made it into the cover of the building.

Even with his foresight, her speed impressed him. For a fraction of a second he thought she'd shoot right by the coils, but then the very end caught her by the tail. _Shit!_ His heart did a flip. He kept the end secured around her tail but instantly loosed all the coils from around his neck to give her slack and avoid pulling on her. She promptly responded by freaking out by the thing that had suddenly grabbed her tail end.

 _MREEAAWWRRR!_

A bit of a reflexive shiver ran down his spine as she let out a scream and wheeled around to attack the cloth, scrambling around in an erratic circle. He hastily dropped down and flicked several more coils her way, wrapping her up a little haphazardly at first since she kept moving.

 _MRRREAWWRR! MREAWR! MRRRRRR!_

He bundled her up safe and sound with a coil around her eyes. She calmed down a bit at the darkness and stopped screaming and trying to struggle. The same couldn't be said for Aizawa who looked uncharacteristically distressed as he crouched by her offering quiet words in a soothing tone.

"Sorry… sorry… sorry, that was my bad… that didn't go quite as planned."

 _Mrrrrrr…_ Judging by her growl, she did not care for his excuses. He could not blame her. He kept talking to her anyway until the growls died out, then he finally let his shoulders slump with a sigh. _Jeez…_

"Uhhh…" It was a tiny, uncertain sounded. Aizawa looked up and found Hayate watching him at a short distance, looking like she didn't want to intrude. "… Nice save," she offered uncertainly.

Oh. Right. She had watched all of that. He looked at her for a second then scowled and dropped his eyes to the side. "Tch… No it wasn't." He ran a hand through his hair messily, looking annoyed as he stood up. "It was a four out of ten at best."

 _His high standards are kicking in, I see._ She'd never seen him bothered like _this_ before. "But you _did_ catch her," Hayate tried again with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Just like I promised on your behalf, so… the kittens will be happy."

"Don't make excuses for my bad technique," he returned, frown not budging an inch as he gently picked the mother cat up. "That could have ended badly grabbing her tail like that. A capture like that's rubbish." He carried her over to the trap at once.

"…" Hayate looked deflated. _Guess there's no cheering that mindset up._

"Come on, hurry over here already." Hayate stirred as he looked at her impatiently; and worriedly? "That was already way more stress on her than necessary."

"Uh, r-right." Hayate trotted over to the trap with the kittens. _He's such a softie all of a sudden! Or is it just guilt? I don't know; either way, it's a side of him I haven't seen!_

Hayate opened it carefully so none of the kittens could escape and Aizawa slipped the mother inside and freed her. She shot inside and around her kittens, wheeling around to glare at Aizawa and give him one final hiss.

"I know, I earned that…" He lowered the towel fully over the trap with his head hung low, and Hayate stood by with a look equal parts awkwardness and sympathy. Aizawa rose and picked up the trap, turning at once to head back to the house. Hayate followed his sudden lead in this, both mute and feeling like an awkward bystander.

As he walked, she glanced over and saw him shake his head, scowl still present as he muttered to himself. "Sheesh… hadn't let go a moment sooner… could have injured her spine… the kittens would have been…" He wasn't over it yet, it seemed.

He really, truly cared about them. _What a guy…_ Hayate looked away a little sheepishly, a bit of pink in her cheeks. _…Um, m-maybe I'll talk to him about_ _that_ _later…_

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"That was fun."

"Mm… yeah."

Hayate and Aizawa stood facing each other out in front of the Tanakas' house.

Hayate smiled. "Although, I kind of just ended watching you do most of the work."

Aizawa shrugged. "Eh, you took care of the 'people' side of things. I'm no good at that."

After his self-asserted failure of a capture on the mother cat, Aizawa had redeemed himself (by his own standards) by following it up with two perfectly-executed individual captures on adult cats. Their grand total had thus been nine adult cats plus four kittens, which meant that every cat that Maiko was aware of in the area had been successfully captured. To Hayate's relief, this made the scowl he'd been sporting evaporate at last, and the sense that he was content returned.

That was well-timed, for such a dark look would have surely unnerved the Tanakas as they returned to the house and go the cats squared away. Well, the Tanakas with Hayate's guidance did; after ten rounds of cat-capturing, Aizawa took a well-earned snooze on the Tanaka's couch. The involvement of his eccentric presence was not missed by the Tanakas, who were perhaps even a bit relieved. And now, after a tap on his shoulder by Hayate to rouse him, shuffling his boots on at the door, and shambling outside, it was time to say fair well.

"See you tomorrow, Aizawa-san."

"You too, Hayate-san."

Each turned and walked away in their appropriate direction.

He hadn't gone far before Aizawa looked back at her over his shoulder, thinking. He really did enjoy that. At first, it had just been to make it up to her for the day before, but it had developed into more than that. Catching cats was a surprisingly effective exercise with their small, swift, and unpredictable bodies as targets. Also— _cats_. He loved them. But more than that, it was Hayate's company that exceeded his expectations.

It seemed she could balance out any annoyance she caused him just as quick as she caused it. Familiar faces came to mind; Yamada and Kayama—she had the same sort of quality they did. While she may have been rather reserved about it at first compared to their boisterous temperaments, she had the same ability to drag him along into what she was doing. He looked forward again, hand coming to his neck. Well… maybe not exactly the same. There seemed to be 'something' warmer about her that he couldn't quite place. He didn't have a name for it, so he filed it away for the time being.

Hayate looked back at him as well. She looked slightly concerned.

… _In the end, there wasn't another unforced opportunity to bring it up. I suppose it's okay… Today ended on a great note, I wouldn't have wanted to make that awkward. … I hope I won't regret that, now, with this feeling…_

She looked forward again. Her mind was still spinning with all her accumulated thoughts and new information about him. He was an enigma. Aizawa Shouta; Erasure Hero: Eraser Head. A public figure who wanted to stay out of the public eye. He didn't care at all what people thought of him, but as a teacher and Hero, he surely did care about others. Dull-eyed, bland; _cunning_ , _mischievous_ —that glint she'd seen in his eyes. As a citizen: dreary, somnolent; as a Pro: _active,_ _animated_ —and holy shit, that guy could _move_ _!_ And when he moved he came alive.

She lifted a hand up to cover her pounding heart. A crushing wave of anxiety rushed over a newfound warmth and bubbling excitement. _This feeling…_

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 **-** _ **Would Aizawa's beard float?**_ **The questions I puzzle over late at night!**

 **-Aizawa gets to be a cat-capturing badass. Da'kitten masta'! Gotta catch'em all!**

 **-Shoutout to Matchamida for drawing Hayate! You're awesome ;)**

 **-I drew a new cover page for Meow. If you want to see a full-size version of that or see Matchamida's piece, check my profile.**

 **-I skimmed parts of how a TNR works since the details were irrelevant.**

 **-** **In most animals, the cauda equina — the lower end of the spinal cord — is located within the lumbar vertebrae, well short of the tail. In cats, though, it extends into the tail. As a result, a hard pull on the cat's tail may cause permanent damage to the cat's spinal cord. The cat may then suffer hind leg paresis (weakness) or paralysis and may become incontinent. Lesser damage may also be experienced. Heed Aizawa's fears: don't ever yank on a cat's tail!**

 **-Also, as of reading MHA chapter 217, it seems to me that Aizawa is going to get some backstory in the future canon based a few panels. I'm super excited about that because it's Aizawa-related, though I also don't know how that will impact Meow. It's important to me that this story meshes easily with the canon plot as they eventually connect, so depending on whatever canon reveals about Aizawa's backstory it may create some interesting and unforeseen story arcs for Meow in the future. Until then, I'll just do my best to characterize Aizawa as well as I can with the information available.**


	10. Exploration of These Newfound Feelings

**After a bit of a work and exhaustion driven hiatus, I have returned. Meow. :3 At least when I deliver it's something better than a dead animal on your doorstep—like 18,000+ words!**

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Like every day at the train station, Monday through Friday, it began with a simple greeting.

"Good morning!" Hayate took a seat with a space between her and Aizawa on the bench; no kittens in sight on this Monday morning.

His eyelids lifted and he glanced over. "Good morning."

She had a smile leveled at him that lingered, and he held it for a few moments amicably before his eyes drifted forward and closed. He waited expectantly for her to take the lead in conversing as she usually did. However, she was quiet longer than usual this morning.

Hayate's eyes didn't leave him when he looked away. They looked him over slowly starting at his head then trailing down to his feet. He was mostly obscured by his sleeping bag, freshly recommissioned after the weekend's misfortune. The zipper was completely up to his chin. Stubbly chin. On a pale-skinned face. Except for under his eyes, which was darker and weary with the bags there. Then a few locks of perpetually messy hair. He looked, by all accounts, exactly the same as he had been the day before. But it wasn't the same. The feeling that had been stirred up in her chest the day before was still there.

She let her eyes shift forward at last, her smile fading into neutrality as she thought. This feeling that the TNR had stirred up hadn't left her even after sleeping on it. But was it just the idea of him that compelled her emotions thus where no such feelings had been before? Tall, dark, and mysterious—he was certainly lacking in the conventionally attractive department, but beyond the superficially disheveled features, he was _decent_ looking. And she knew his deceptively thin frame was very fit after seeing him practically fly around buildings catching cats.

But it was rather shallow to evaluate him in such a physical manner, wasn't it? It had certainly been the unveiling of his personality and values that spurred this feeling. Each meeting over the course of weeks spent chipping away at his aloof exterior all culminating in yesterday's revelations; practically a hammer shattering the stone straightaway to reveal the core of this man.

And she liked what she found. A challenging of her expectations. Someone who was logical, selfless, and surprisingly caring; in stark contrast to his exterior. A cool guy… he was certainly that. But was that enough to pursue this sensation? Were his positive traits enough to overlook his lesser ones from a practical, compatibility standpoint? And would he even reciprocate them if she made a motion with them? Her eyes shifted back to him to study him once more.

She really could certainly think anything to death. Regardless of these newfound feelings, she still thought he looked like a caterpillar in that bag. The corner of her lip twitched at the thought and she looked forward again. Perhaps… that was a sign. Feelings could be fleeting. There wasn't any need to rush. She could take her time with this and find clarity gradually. Her mind settled, and Hayate's expression relaxed as she focused on his face again.

"Glad to see your sleeping bag's back in action; I almost can't picture you without it."

"Mm, yeah."

"Not that you really needed it yesterday, though. Well, except for maybe smuggling kittens."

He snorted and cracked an eye, completely oblivious to the internal deliberations that had consumed her mere moments before. "Smuggling? You mean 'snuggling'?"

"Hmmm… do I mean that? I think you'd take a kitten home in that."

His eye didn't leave her, though it did squint ever so slightly. There was an undertone of something in there, plus the faint smile on her face. He closed his eye.

"… Perhaps." Intentionally vague, he waited.

Her expression held as she took out her phone. "Hey! You should help me come up with some kitten names. Kasuya's been hounding me to get a list of names together for the kittens, and then we'll take a vote on them with all the staff."

"Who's Kasuya?" He deflected.

"My vet tech coworker; the one who watches the kittens over the weekends. We've been friends for a long time. When they were little they needed feeding frequently, and Kasuya watched them so I could catch a break… They're a lot older now, though. Won't be much longer before they're fully weaned."

"…" His eyes remained steadily closed.

She held up her phone a little. "Got any name suggestions to throw on the list?"

"Nah, I can't do that kind of stuff."

"Mm… I can relate. Once you name an animal, you get attached to it."

"No, I mean I'm just terrible at names."

"Oh. 'Eraser Head' is a pretty good name, though."

"I didn't come up with it."

"But you approved it. So, in that case, how about I just read names off I like and you say if you like them or not, too?"

He thought about protesting her plan for a moment, but then he figured she would argue the point back. It probably would be over with quicker if he just went with it. "… Fine."

Hayate looked down at her phone, scrolling for names. "Mmmm... what about Mona?"

"Yeah."

"Mm… Chie?"

"Sure."

"Hm, these two are similar… Kioshi or Hoshi?"

"Sounds good."

"Um, that was an either-or question."

"Either one."

"Oh come on, pick one."

He grumbled and slumped down a bit. "... The first one."

"Kioshi it is."

"…"

"Hmmm... I know Kasuya likes 'Sesame'."

"Sounds nice."

"Hm… maybe for the bigger boy; because of the white dots on his toes. What do you think?"

"Mm-hm."

"'Mm-hm' what?"

"'Mm-hm' I agree."

"Mm…" She squinted at him. He was focused on sleeping. "… Hm. What about Mona?"

"Sure."

"You realize I already said that name, right?"

"Not really."

"You're just going to say they all sound nice, huh?"

"Yes."

She gives him an unamused look. "... You really are bad at this."

"I warned you." He didn't even react.

Her mouth scrunched to one side, looking displeased. "Come _on_ , a Pro's gotta be more creative than that. Come up with one name, at least."

"Can't you just call them all 'kitty'? Every cat responds to that, anyway," he replied with a sigh, dodging the issue.

She looked incredulous. "Really? Kitty One, Kitty Two, and Kitty Three?"

"Yeah, sure."

Hayate was unimpressed. "No."

Aizawa grunted indifferently, eyes still closed.

Hayate frowned, then her eyes softened and she shifted the topic. "Well, anyway… one of the reasons we're getting names for them is that we're getting them ready for adoption."

"Huh... it's already been that long."

"Yeah, they're five weeks old… They can go to new homes as soon as eight weeks. Cats grow up fast. If I could keep them all I would, but... yeah. Not practical. Have to let them go sometime."

"... Going to be weird not seeing them."

Hayate looked at him closely with a smile. "Well, you know, that runt seems to like you quite a bit…" she trailed off suggestively.

Yep, there it was finally. The undertone she'd been hinting at. He didn't bat an eye. "Nah, I still don't have time for a cat. It's nice to entertain him for a few minutes, but that cat has energy levels which deserve more attention than I can realistically provide. Additionally, my apartment has neither the space nor authorization to have a pet."

Hayate's smile deflated. "… Oh." _He's not even going to entertain a fleeting flight of fancy before logic takes over, huh?_ "I figured I'd ask you first, but… guess you've given it some thought already."

He did finally open his eyes, sending a glance her way. "It's a nice thought to offer, but it's as you said. Not practical."

"I see. Well," her smile picked up again, "how about coming to their adoption event, then?"

He did stir a little at that, eyelids lifting up. "Event?"

"Well, not _theirs_ specifically. Musutafu Animal Shelter has a big adoption event planned for this summer. They'll be up for adoption there. I'm one of the event coordinators as well." She gave him a suggestive smile. "It'll be the second weekend in August. We could use a few more volunteers."

He looked at her for a moment then away for a few more to think, then his lip pushed out a bit with a hum. "Hm… I'll have to pass on that."

Her smile faltered. "Why?"

"I'll be taking my class to summer training camp that weekend," he answered, closing his eyes again.

"Oh." Her heart and expression sunk at that. She looked away from him to the ground. "… Summer camp, huh? Well, I guess that will be nice."

He scoffed. "It will be intense hero course training, not a vacation." He paused for a moment then added in a grumble, "Though hopefully their improvement will be better than just 'nice'."

 _Well that sounds a little harsh._ Hayate hesitated to respond right away, sending an uncertain look his way. "… Sounds like you've got high standards for yourself and your students."

"Mm-hm."

"… How long's the camp?"

"One week."

 _One week?_ A gear sprang into action in her mind at that, and her head perked up a little as it turned. "Sunday through Saturday?"

"Mm-hm."

Her eyes lit back up. "Oh! That won't be a problem with the adoption event, after all. It's going the whole weekend, Saturday and Sunday; you could come on Saturday the day before you leave."

His eyes snapped back open. "… Huh." Well. There went his perfect excuse.

She looked at him eagerly. "Do you have anything planned for that Saturday already?"

His eyes darted away. "Well… technically, no…"

"Technically?"

"I mean, there's nothing I know of currently that would conflict with that, but that doesn't mean something won't come up... Booking the whole day before a trip like that is ill-advisable. It's still a few weeks out," he reasoned.

"Ah, I see, that makes sense," Hayate nodded, hand going to her chin. "Hm, I can work with that. The event's got full-day and half-day volunteer shifts; morning and afternoon. You could just sign up for the half-day shift… and if you aren't certain about morning or afternoon yet, then we'll just put you down for undecided until you know for sure. How's that sound?" She looked to him cheerfully for confirmation.

He looked at her bleakly. Damn. She was just too flexible. His gaze shifted out over the tracks. "… Hm."

Hayate studied him for a few moments with her smile dying into a frown. He seemed completely disinclined. "… What's with that look? You don't want to come?"

Well, he didn't really _want_ to come out and say it, but—"… Mm." His unenthusiastic expression said it for him.

Her brow furrowed. "I thought you enjoyed the TNR, though. There'll be plenty more cats at the adoption than there were yesterday."

"Mmmm, that may be so, but this sort of thing is a lot more people-oriented. I'm really not your guy for that. I'm more liable to deter your adopters than encourage them with my presence."

Her mouth swished to one side as she thought. "… Well, if that's what you're worried about, I can accommodate for that. We'll need people to set up and take down cages, booths, that sort of thing. And I think a kitten-rescuing Pro makes for pretty good sponsorship no matter what you look like."

He snorted and looked at her with one eyebrow raised like he wasn't fooled. "Signing me up for free labor and exploiting my Hero Name? Your craftiness is showing."

Hayate opened her mouth as if to protest then hesitated, biting her lip. _But that's not…_ "… Well, okay then, fine… you don't have to show up in your Pro garb, but you can still flex those Pro muscles! Besides, you'll get plenty of opportunity to play with and snuggle kittens by the day's end, guaranteed. That's a fair trade, right?"

His eyes stayed on her for a few moments flicked away from her. "… Hm."

Possibly. He'd give her the cats as a big plus, sure. But the thing about these sorts of events is that they weren't really about cats per say; they were about convincing _people_ to take home cats. Essentially, trying to sell them something. And that was definitely a skill that was not in his repertoire. Making small talk, forcing a smile, answering certain questions which would inevitably be asked repeatedly, and spending a great deal of time standing around waiting for people to come—all things he found mind-numbingly irritating, and he'd have to be sufficiently sociable to complete the event's objectives.

There were only so many cages to be moved, and he highly doubted his sleeping bag would be Ok'd, either. If you wanted someone for this kind of thing, he was logically not the person to ask regardless of kitten cuddles. Ideally, you'd want someone who could increase the odds of your event's success for the sake of the cats; someone more like Hayate herself, he reasoned. Someone like himself was much better off contributing through indirect means such as monetary donations. Huh. Thinking of which…

"… How about I just make a donation instead? I'm not your guy for public appearances, but I can still lend a hand that way."

Hayate looked a little pleasantly surprised at the offer. "Oh… a donation would be great, that's kind of you to offer. Though, logically, we need human resources, too. And… you know, if you don't come in person, you won't get to see the kittens one last time. Don't you want to see the runt off to a new home?"

His eyes softened a smidge at that. Seeing them did add a little weight in favor of going. "... Hm." He silently kept deliberating, not betraying a single thought with his motionless exterior.

The sight of him unconvinced even at that made Hayate bite her lip. Of course, it wasn't _just_ the kittens. She wanted him to come; whether as a newly-made friend or a potential something more. _Dang it, Aizawa-san, you're practically making me twist your arm to come. What do I have to say to convince you?_ She wracked her brain reviewing what she knew of him. A spark of inspiration caught life flickering into an idea, and her heart beat a little faster at the thought. She wanted to test these new feelings; she wanted to test _his_ feelings. He was a straightforward and simple person; perhaps the same approach was best.

She tucked her lips in hesitation taking a few moments to gather her nerves then puffed her chest up with a deep breath in. A smile cross her face, but different than before; coy, with her head tilted a little as she leaned just a bit his way. She held that smile and set her eyes on him in her best attempt at what she hoped was a flirty look powered by hope-mustered bravado.

"What if I just want you to come?"

Her softly spoken words disrupted Aizawa's silent deliberations. He blinked and looked back over to her. His eyes met hers and he took in the earnestness in them and the hope brimming in her smile. But much to the contrary of what Hayate had intended, her look roused him to hold back a grimace and look back over the tracks internally groaning.

That one line was a game-changer; instead of an invitation, it was now one of those technically-illogical-but-for-a-friend's-sake _requests_. Sure, he was a stone-cold man of logic, but the people he called friends weren't, and that involved a bit of compromise on his part. _He_ usually didn't care about whatever they did, but _they_ cared about those things; because they cared and he cared about his friends, by logical extension he then had to care about those things at least superficially for their sakes. He didn't even bother counting the number of ridiculous things he had been dragged along for courtesy of Mic and Midnight, and it looked like Hayate was going to take a page out of their book here. Well-played.

He closed his eyes and sighed reluctantly. "… Fine. I'll come."

"Really?!" Hayate's hope and confidence spiked. _That worked!_ Aizawa, however, was not finished.

"To see the kittens," he continued blandly, eyes closed. "But I'm not inclined to sign up for a specific length of time or anything. I'll stick around for as long as I care to, give a hand here and there, and then I'll take my leave. You get to see me, I get to see the kittens for a final time, your event still gets some help from me, I'm not irritated out of my mind … and I might as well make a donation for the time I'm not going to be there for. A logical solution where everyone wins." He ended on a note that sounded rather satisfied with his conclusion, and his eyes didn't even open to look at her for confirmation. Perhaps this was a blessing, for if they had they would have found her staring at him with her lips parted in a look of squinted-eyed disbelief.

 _What the heck! That's not him responding to flirting; that's him logic-ing the hell out of it like usual! Did he even notice I was trying?_ Whatever confidence she had gained a moment before bottomed out and she looked down at her lap. _Maybe I was being too subtle… I mean, a look like that coming out of nowhere without any precedence, maybe he just doesn't want to make any assumptions._ Her fingers lifted to her beanie with a grimace as her eyes flicked across to her gray scrubs. _And I guess it's not like I'm dressed compellingly, either. Dang it!_

It was clear her first attempt of testing these uncertain waters had come up rather shallow. But where did that leave her now? He agreed to come, sure, but it didn't sound like he'd be there for very long, and that defeated the whole purpose of inviting him to get to know him better. Should she try again? But his answer just then sounded perfectly logical and final, and knowing him that was the best conclusion he had settled on. Probably nothing else would convince him, not unless—

Her thoughts stilled on that thought. She bit her lip and cupped her hands together running a gloved thumb over the back of the other uncertainly, sending an apprehensive glance at his closed-eyed, apparently content face.

… _Should I?_

He remained silent as she hesitated for a moment longer, then she gathered a bit of nerve and moved a hand to her jacket zipper.

 _Just a nudge… I'm not asking a lot. It's just enough to get him in the door, that's okay… right?_

Her fingers fidgeted with the zipper.

 _I just want him there, that's all... and maybe, I see what he does with this… I can test this feeling. Er, again._

Her fingers settled on the metal tag as she made up her mind. The zipper came all the way down while she loosened and pulled off her scarf with the other hand. Then, once again with a smile pretending more confidence than she actually felt, Hayate shifted, resting her right arm over the back of the bench with the scarf balled-up in that hand and pulling open her jacket with the other as she scooted over to sit directly beside Aizawa.

"Well, that's not really what I had in mind."

He heard the shifting of her fabric, but it was the proximity of her voice which surprised him and made him open his eyes and look over at her. Scarcely a moment passed between his eyes meeting hers and her perfume hitting his nostrils, and his breath hitched.

She was levelling a wonderful smile at him. With her sitting closer side-by-side, the rings of blue in her eyes seemed defined strikingly. She had her right arm lifted to rest over the bench twisting her torso slightly to face him with one leg folded over the other. Her jacket was opened and the scarf was gone exposing the pale skin of her neck down to the 'V' of her chest formed by the scrub shirt, which fit her well. The posture made him suddenly uncomfortably aware that she was feminine.

"I want to spend time with you again, Aizawa-san."

For a moment, all he could do was stare at her blankly. Then his mind slowly processed what she had said, and he swallowed, mouth suddenly feeling far too dry.

"... Wh-What?"

"I think you'll enjoy it more than you think! It's alright if you're not there the whole day. The half-day shift is just four hours long. That's not so bad, right?"

"I'm… uh, I'm not the right person… for people-oriented things…" Her perfume was infiltrating his senses, and just as swiftly his logically reasoned resistance slipped away into sudden, incoherent fumbling.

She tilted her head a little with the coy smile returning. "It's alright. Since I'm one of the coordinators for the event, I'll make sure you can do things you're more comfortable with. Anything you can do to help out is better than nothing, after all. So what do you say?"

Feeling a bit too warm, that's what. But it didn't feel… bad. If anything, the warmth her words spurred in his chest made him not want to let her down and soothed his logical objections. "... Okay." His voice sounded faint to his own ears.

She gave a big smile. "Great! I'll give you the info for the adoption event. You'll have to give some details to volunteer. I'll just write it down for you..."

He stopped paying attention as she went on to explain something about an online application and looked down from him to take a notepad and pen out of her slim purse. It was taking a lot of focus just to keep his eyes from roaming right now.

… _What the hell is this?_ Something irrational was going on here between her behavior and his reaction to it, but intently studying the soft contours of her facial features and neck seemed far more interesting than logical thought processes. Hayate finished her note and peeled it off then lifted her eyes back to him suddenly. Their eyes met, and for a moment she froze, then recovered and quickly looked down at the note expectantly.

"Here you go!" She kept her eyes pinned on the note.

Aizawa blinked. He tore his eyes away from her and looked down at the note in her gloved fingers. He slowly undid the zipper of his sleeping bag and slipped his arm out. The note was exchanged and Aizawa looked at it blankly for a moment, then back up at Hayate.

She held his eyes for a moment then looked away quickly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. She shifted away from him on the bench settling with her hands in her lap over the scarf as she looked out across the tracks instead. _He looks… a little more decent when he's that focused._ Her hands went to the bottom edges of her jacket to zip it. _… Was that overdoing it a little? Maybe I shouldn't have done that._ Her hands fidgeted with the zipper a little, slowly lining it up. _That wasn't… honest, exactly. But there's nothing illegal about sitting closer to someone on a bench, so…_ Her hands came to an abrupt stop, a thought from yesterday flashing through her mind. _Oh no; I haven't told him about my Quirk yet! But now if I told him, he'd realize what that was just now! Would he be mad? I didn't think this through!_

There was just something plain illogical going on here; that much Aizawa was certain of as he continued to stare at her even as she moved away on the bench and looked away. It wasn't like him to be so, so… _flustered_. What was he going to say? Something articulate, something logical, something—

"Uh... hey."

Her hands gave a bit of a jerk at his voice. She looked at him sharply with a quickly-mustered smile and brought the zipper on her jacket up quickly past her chest. No, don't stare at her chest.

"Hey!"

He peeled his eyes away, up to her face. "... That perfume..." His words hung like an idiot.

She hesitated. "Oh." _Crap, what do I say now?!_ She looked down quickly. _The truth, right? Or would that be confusing? No. Yes?_ "…You like it? I think it smells good, too." _That's not really a lie. It does smell nice. And it is 'perfume'… of a natural sort._

"..." He stared at her mutely then forced himself to straighten his gaze out across the tracks. "... Yeah."

She sent a furtive glance his way but kept her head down. _… I think that worked. But now what am I going to do?!_

Aizawa could breathe easier with space between them on the bench again clearing his nose, but it didn't make what had transpired any more logical as he thought about it. That perfume just hit him any time she came directly next to him. Why did she move closer to him to begin with? She always kept a respectable space between them. They were getting friendlier, though. Ah. Maybe that was it. She felt comfortable enough to enter his personal space to ask something of him. A little heartfelt comment about hanging out, with that cheeky smile. Yes, it was obvious now; it was just like Yamada and Kayama to tease and badger him into things like that. It was never objectively logical for him to come, but friends made all manner of illogical requests that he nonetheless humored for them, because there were just some things that a logical man had to put up with to get by in an illogical world.

But as for himself?

Hayate stood up and he looked over quickly, noting that the train was approaching with a glance. His gaze returned to her as he got up slowly out of his sleeping bag. His eyes followed her as she moved to the platform, looking her up and down. And as for his illogical response… biology. Biology stirred up all kinds of illogical things that weren't controlled by higher logic processes, and there was no helping that. Midnight had certainly gone a long way in desensitizing him to that sort of thing, but he was still a man no matter how rational. She was an objectionably speaking attractive woman with a slim, fit build and modesty that appealed to him more than Kayama's brazen self-presentation. It was only natural to take notice, and only logical to do absolutely nothing beyond that.

That answer satisfied him as he stopped behind her with his sleeping bag slung over his shoulder and paid her no further scrutiny. Instead, his attention shifted to the note in his hand that she had given him, a bit of a frown forming. _Well, guess I'm going to this now. Hopefully the cats will be worth it. What did she say to click on…?_

And thus, while Aizawa was perfectly rational and more observant than the average guy, it was that very rationality that dismissed the thought that Hayate could be flirting with him as completely illogical; because _who_ would flirt with _him?_ (Miss Joke did not count. Her advances carried all the flirtatious grace of a smack from a frying pan, and their nagging persistence was a nuisance. Between her and Midnight—whose 'normal' interactions would have counted as sultry by most people's standards—if they did anything, it was completely skew his expectations away from subtle feminine cues aimed at him, interpreting them in any matter but a romantic sense firstly.) In other words, both of Hayate's hopeful overtures testing the flirtatious waters went completely over his head.

Not that Hayate was aware of this as she took a seat on the train and watched him walk by with a fretful look. _I can't tell him about my Quirk before the event now. If I do, he'll realize I swayed him! I don't want him to change his mind about coming. But I'm being dishonest in the first place. Will he be madder the longer I wait, or more likely to brush it off? If I come clean now it shows I'm making an effort for honesty, but if he gets mad and doesn't come—no, that's a completely manipulative way of thinking! I need to tell him._

The train moved and time passed. Aizawa napped soundly while Hayate readjusted her scarf and stressed herself out barely paying her phone any attention. His eyelids opened as his stop arrived. Hayate's eyes were glued to him before he even got up. As he started to walk her way to exchange their customary farewells, it was Hayate who spoke first.

"Hey, Aizawa-san…"

"Hm?" He slowed his step at the troubled look on her face.

She hesitated, then the look evaporated. "… Ah, never mind. Have a nice day!"

He studied her for a second then shrugged it off and kept walking. Huh. "Okay. You too, Hayate-san."

As soon as he passed by, her smile vanished for an exasperated expression aimed at herself as she brought a hand to her forehead.

… _Dammit, Aika. Grow a spine! And make up your mind._

Thus, Hayate's self-inflicted torment began.

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"Hey lady!"

"Morning, Kasuya. Um, don't clock-in yet; I want to talk first."

"Hm…?"

Kasuya paused to study her friend. Brooding over her freshly-made coffee sitting at the break room table, she looked quite distressed.

"I did something stupid this morning."

"Oh dear, how bad's the damage?"

"I used my Quirk on a guy."

" _Oh._ " Kasuya got serious, moving to take a seat being conscientious of her growing baby bump. "Are you alright? Did he try anything? Were you on the train?"

"It wasn't like that," Hayate quickly assured. "I mean that… I used it to flirt with him."

Kasuya blinked. "Oh!" Her seriousness dropped away for an excited smile. "Oh, oh! Was it that coffee guy you took my beans for?"

"Wha—how did you guess that?!"

"That's the only guy you've mentioned."

"Well… yes, it was him."

Kasuya gained a look of knowing satisfaction. "Mister 'not like that' huh? You're singing a different tune now!"

Hayate sighed, disgruntled. "Look, that's not the point, Kasuya. I used my Quirk on him." Her eyes settled to the side. "I was trying to invite him to the adoption event this summer… but he was being so stubborn! So I just… gave him a nudge. I didn't activate it or anything! I just unzipped my jacket, took a layer off. You know?" She looked at Kasuya expectantly.

"Oh, is that all? Did he say yes?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, well! Right on, lady!"

Hayate did not look pleased with this answer, settling forward on the table.

"But Kasuya, I _manipulated_ him!"

Kasuya rolled her eyes. "Yeah, into joining you in rescuing homeless animals. You're quite the evil genius."

"But my _motivations!_ They were selfish. I haven't told him about my Quirk, either, and now if I do, he might get mad and decide not to come. But that's just me being selfish again, because I want to get to know him better! What do I do now?" She looked expectantly at her friend with a fretful expression.

Kasuya contemplated her thoughtfully for a second then answered. "If it's this upsetting, why did you use it in the first place?"

Hayate slumped a little. "… I tried to flirt with him without it, but he didn't even notice." Kasuya gave a laugh out of pity, and Hayate scowled at her. "Don't laugh at me! I really don't want to screw this up."

"Hayate, you can think a mile a minute and get nowhere. Relax. You've got five weeks until the event, so just wait it out. That's plenty of time to give him a few more 'nudges' if you know what I'm saying," Kasuya wiggled her eyebrows.

"I'm not using my Quirk again! This is already wrong."

"Then don't, and see what he does. You want to make sure it's not that, so give him some hints without it."

Hayate sighed tightly and looked away with her brow still furrowed.

"I'm not even sure if he's dating material yet… Ever since I saw him, I didn't think much of him, but then yesterday I invited him to the TNR I was doing, and he's such a cool guy! It surprised me so much, and now I've got this feeling… maybe I like him more than I thought I did. We ride the same train and talk every day—should I even do this with him? If it doesn't work out we'd still see each other around all the time, and right now we're becoming friends—I don't want to ruin it."

Kasuya absorbed all of that with a thoughtful frown. Seemed to be a lot more things going on here than she was aware of. After a long pause of consideration, she replied. "… If something did end up happening between you and him, do you think he'd give you trouble if things went south?"

"No," Hayate replied immediately. "I think he would give me space." Based on his personality as a person and integrity as a Pro Hero, she could be sure of that.

"Well then, don't sabotage yourself before you even get started. It's not going to work that way. So just relax, and put the brakes on that overthinking business." She gave a playful smirk. "7 am is too early for an existential crisis."

"It's not 'existential'; it's 'relational'."

"Either way, sounds like you've been holding out on me with the details on this guy! So you talk on the train every morning, and you've already invited him out yesterday?"

"It wasn't a date! It was just as friends… we've met twice for coffee, too."

Kasuya raised an eyebrow. "… Are you sure you aren't dating already? At least from his perspective?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Her failed-flat attempt at flirting brought an annoyed little twitch to her mouth. "He's certainly not giving off that impression."

"Hm… Sounds like you should catch me up on everything over a non-alcoholic beverage."

"Heh… will coffee do?"

"Always!"

"Well, I found a good coffee place close to home… next time you come around we can go there."

"You got yourself a deal." Kasuya spread her hands on the table ready to push off. "Well? You ready to get this day rolling?"

Hayate smiled with more ease than before. "I suppose so… thanks. I feel a bit better just saying it out loud."

"Of course, any time."

It didn't settle everything—she still had to figure out how to tell him—but having told someone about it felt like a relief letting her racing thoughts spill out. At least some comfort could always be gleaned from having a friend to confide in.

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 _ **Event Volunteer Handbook**_

 _The 6 DO's of Customer Service —_ DO:

 _\- greet people upon approach. (Meh. I suppose that's_ _do_ _able.)_

 _\- smile and make eye contact. (Smile? Eh. Eye contact, I guess.)_

 _\- ask questions and LISTEN to answers. (So small talk. Great.)_

 _\- ask if they have pets of their own. (Ugh, does that mean listening to them gush about Fluffy?)_

 _\- introduce the pet; encourage to interact. (Okay, that one's probably not so bad. They won't look at me, at least.)_

 _\- follow the Golden Rule! Be courteous, kind, respectful, etc. (Mm, that one's not unreasonable.)_

 _The 5 DONT's of Customer Service – DON'T:_

 _\- focus solely on the animal. (So basically, do the opposite of the first thing I want to do.)_

 _\- continue conversations with other volunteers when someone is looking at an animal. (That one's easy, at least. Don't plan on talking to_ _anyone_ _unnecessarily.)_

 _\- talk/text/play games on your phone when someone is looking at an animal. (Just stand and stare. K.)_

 _\- miss an opportunity to promote your animal. If someone looks interested, talk to them! (So_ _do_ _greet them. Got it.)_

 _\- Don't oversell, though! (I'd be lucky to sell at all let alone overdo it.)_

Aizawa gave a bit of a huff and looked away from the screen to take a sip of his lunch; a nutrient shake of the most practical composition with an appropriate blend of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, collagen, vitamins and minerals which outdid any of the cafeteria meals nutritionally for less long-term cost than buying out and took a fraction of the amount of time to prepare. The taste was bland as hell as one would expect from something lacking in any unnecessary sugars, but it was passable as long as you didn't focus on it. Which he didn't.

He hadn't bothered to look up the info Hayate had written down for him when he first came in both out of prioritizing his work and disinterest in it. But with the downtime afforded by lunch, it occurred to him that he should see what exactly he signed himself for. So, sitting at his desk in the teacher's room and sipping his shake, he did just that. The website and instructions she wrote led him to the guidelines for the event, and skimming them he confirmed that it was basically as out of his comfort zone as he had previously anticipated.

"What'cha looking at?"

He saw Midnight approaching from the door out of his periphery well before she zeroed-in on him and quickly minimized the tab just as she peeked around the back of his computer to look at the screen. "Nothing."

She squinted at the open browser icon along the bottom bar of the otherwise sparse and organized desktop then looked at him, raising her eyebrow and staring him down expectantly. He didn't budge, meeting her gaze neutrally. Blue-ringed eyes; huh. Their similarity reminded him of Hayate's. She gained a wicked grin and put a hand on her hip, the other holding her purchased lunch. "Well if you don't tell me, I'm going to draw my own conclusions." The worst threat she could make, given the type of conclusions she gravitated towards.

The similarity between the two women ended there and Aizawa made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat. "Get your mind out of the gutter," He shot back dryly. And yet, he did click the icon again.

She looked back at the screen and started skimming the page. Her features turned curious. "This is… a volunteering document? Huh, and here I thought you were working through lunch yet again." A rather innocent 'conclusion' Aizawa thought sourly. Her eyes flicked across the web address and put it together, looking back at him while he sat quietly with a grumpy look aimed at his lunch due to the intrusion. "You're volunteering at an animal shelter?"

"Seems you can read."

"That's so not like you! You're not the charitable type."

"I was asked to do it."

"By who?"

"A woman on the train who brings kittens that she's raising. I pet them."

Midnight leaned back with a laugh. "Hah! You suckerrrr!"

Aizawa scowled at her.

"Who's a sucker?" Mic's voice. Aizawa scowled harder.

Midnight turned her head as he came into the teacher's room and flashed a toothy grin at him as she called out. "Eraser is! He'll do anything if you slap a cute cat on it."

"I wouldn't do _anything_ for a cat," Aizawa growled. Prone to dramatic exaggeration as always.

"Yeah? Well what are you doing?" Mic shot back as he came over. "You totally ditched me to make your shake early!" Behind Mic and having apparently gotten their lunches with him at the same, Vlad King and Hound Dog paid a curious eye and ear to the conversation. Even with a friend as loud as Mic to draw eyes their way, it was rather uncommon for Eraser to be the center of attention.

All eyes turned to him expectantly, and he pointedly avoided them with a squint pinned on his meal as he grumbled a response. "Volunteering. Animal adoption event."

" _Oooh~!_ Sweet!" Mic smoothly slid into his chair spinning it to face Eraser. "How many cats are we talking about?"

"Don't know," he replied blandly.

"Any dogs going to be there?" Vlad interjected curiously, both him and Hound joining the group circling Eraser now.

"Don't care."

Vlad scowled, his lip lifting. "Dogs need homes too, cat lover!"

"Sure. Just not in my home."

"Hey, but isn't this kind of unusual for you, even with cats? I mean, public events really aren't your kind of thing," Mic noted pointing a spoon at Eraser before gathering a bite of rice.

"A lady friend asked him to come," Midnight answered for him, wiggling her eyebrows. Eraser leveled a withering look at her.

Mic paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth to fix her with an incredulous glance. " _Pfft!_ Yeah right, like I'll believe that coming from _you_ , Kayama." Mic looked back at Eraser. "No really, why are you going?"

Eraser seemed to be slumping further around his meal with every passing second. "A woman I commute with is raising kittens. She brings them every morning and I pet them. They'll be up for adoption at the event."

Mic seemed a little surprised. "Oh, so there is a woman."

"I told you so!" Midnight retorted.

"Well when you put it _like that!_ " Mic shot back. His attention returned to Eraser in an instant as he swiveled his head. "Are you going to get a kitten?!"

"No. I'm going to see them off. That's all."

"Awww, why not?"

"You know why. I haven't got the time or space," Eraser replied practically.

"Same old excuse as always!"

Hound Dog studied Eraser as the others spoke, his canine nostrils twitching with rapid sniffs. "… You don't own any cats?"

"Right."

Mic looked at the canine hero with his arms spread. "It's crazy, right?! Coming from a guy who loves them!" He leaned closer to Eraser with a teasing nudge of his elbow and spoke in a muted, flat tone of mimicry. "'It's not _logical_. I get all the advantages of interacting with stray cats without the responsibilities of owning a pet."

Eraser shot him a sidelong glance, but he didn't argue the point.

"Hm…" Hound Dog's eyes squinted at Eraser in thought and his nose didn't stop, though he said nothing more.

"Hmph! Your minimal effort approach as usual," Vlad commented gruffly, looking slightly disapproving at Eraser. "Hey! If you see anything like a bulldog there let me know."

"Hm? You're looking for a dog?" Midnight asked curiously.

"Been thinking about it," Vlad nodded, a bit of a smile coming to his face. "Always had a soft spot for bulldogs."

Mic looked over Vlad's underbite and pointed canines. "Huh. Guess it's sometimes true people look like their dogs."

"Mic!" Midnight scolded him.

Vlad, however, gave a laugh, said canines flashing in a grin. "Nah, let him be! It's rather true… and I like the bulldog look."

As far as Eraser was concerned, it didn't surprise him that his outspoken fellow hero course teacher and self-appointed rival was into a famously stubborn, noisy, and high-maintenance breed; not that he'd bother saying so, for it would surely raise the other hero's hackles. Instead, he checked out of the conversation and kept reading the document on his computer, quietly slipping under everyone else's radar as the topic progressed to something more about bulldogs and then onto a ridiculous hypothetical question of what dog breed everyone would be (when briefly pulled aside from the document when his own answer came up, he humored them with an deadpan answer which was obviously "a cat" much to no one's surprise and everyone's rolled eyes). In any case, the attention paid to him passed quickly.

By the end of lunch, Eraser had finished reading, filling out, and submitting everything required of him as per the instructions on the note Hayate had given him and those in the document itself. It was a rather simple and straightforward process, thankfully. He still wasn't _thrilled_ to be going of course, but… well, he did say _yes_ , whatever the reasons. And as for the lunchtime group surrounding him, two words had been offered up to gravitate towards; _woman_ and _cat_.

" _What if I just want you to come?"_

Ironically, it was Midnight, whose suggestive comment had been quickly written off, who came closest to the mark of what had compelled him to attend. But with _cats_ being the other contender in the ring, and Eraser's affinity for them being uncontested, it should come as no great surprise that no one batted an eye at them being his stated reason for coming.

" _I'm going to see them off. That's all."_

Well, perhaps it should be said that all but _one_ fully believed him. The group dispersed as the conversation reached its natural conclusion and lunch drew to a close. Even Mic got up to discard his garbage, and when he did it left just one person lingering by Eraser's desk. He glanced up over his right shoulder as he sensed Hound Dog's presence there. The hound hero seemed to be studying his sleeping bag bundled up under the edge of his desk. Hound Dog looked up and met his eyes when Eraser moved to glance at him, and he offered a friendly canine smile.

"Make sure those three get good homes."

Eraser's first reaction to this line was confusion, taking a moment to place what he could mean by that. _… The kittens?_ His brow twitched into a slight furrow. _I didn't say how many there were._

Hound Dog seemed to see Eraser's gears turning by the expression he made, and he gave a smirk and tapped his snout twice knowingly, saying nothing more as he turned and walked off heading back to his desk. Eraser watched him go with a perplexed look of his own. _… Scent? Why'd he bother telling me that?_ He puzzled it over for a moment arriving at nothing conclusive, then shrugged it off and returned his focus to his desk. Huh. Whatever. Eraser Head had much more important things to attend to for the rest of his day.

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Tuesday morning bright and early, Hayate got ready for her day. Three hungry kittens got a plateful of wet food mixed with a little formula to messily devour while Tenten was given her own dish around the corner to neatly nibble. The kittens maturing to the point of no longer needing individual hand-feeding was certainly one of their best developments thus far. It allowed her to move along to tending to her own breakfast and then onto getting dressed.

By the time she was applying her final articles of clothing in front of the bathroom mirror, tiny bellies were full and lips were being licked. But Hayate's thoughts were not on the kittens this morning as she looked over her reflection. Now, her thoughts were focused on something far less certain.

" _You've got five weeks until the event, so just wait it out. That's plenty of time to give him a few more 'nudges' if you know what I'm saying."_

She'd like to say that she did know what Kasuya was saying, and certainly she did get her point, but as for going about it… yeah. She was drawing a blank. Looking over her drab gray clothing in the mirror, anything related to appearance was going to be a big flop. Her previous attempt at a flirty smile had clearly been missed, forcing her to resort to _that_. And _that_ wasn't going to happen again.

 _Does flirting even work on someone that logical?_ She wondered as she started to brush her teeth. _Just being honest with him did seem to work… he decided to come right after I asked him directly. But I really don't want to be so hasty. I mean, realistically, we barely know each other; just a couple minutes of talking each morning, that's it, really… I don't want to say I'm interested in him flat out then it turns I'm not after one date. That'll make it extremely awkward to see each other in the mornings._

Her ears detected tiny feet pitter-pattering into the bathroom while she watched her reflection. Something brushed her pant leg.

"Meow."

It was the runt. She'd heard that voice enough times to know. But her mind was preoccupied by more pressing matters, and besides, he demanded enough of her attention in a day already. His nudge went ignored.

 _I guess I should just keep getting to know him better. The TNR's the first time we've had a deep conversation. Or maybe it was that time about coffee? Hm… nah, that was kind of one-sided. What could we talk about that he'd be interested in, too?_

Her leg twitched a little out of reflex as a stretched-out paw tapped at it insistently.

"Meow?"

Hayate paused her thoughts long enough to lift her foot, nudging the runt away. _Maybe just look up some ideas…_ She pulled her phone out with one hand while the other kept brushing with her eyes dropping from the mirror to the screen as she started typing. _Questions to ask someone you're interested in dating…_

She gave a bit of a jerk as dagger claws dug into her leg as the runt started on an upward path.

"Shoo!" She stuck out her leg and gave it a bit of a shake, looking down at him sternly. "No climbing. That hurts," she scolded him with her toothbrush shifted to one side of her mouth.

He landed back on the ground and looked up earnestly.

"Meow!"

"No." She looked away from him and resumed brushing her teeth and studying the screen. "Gotta break you of that habit." Her eyes flicked across a few of the results. _Let's see… 'Fifty Questions to Ask…'_ She started skimming the questions.

 _Some of these are kind of obvious for him… Would you rather be twice as smart or twice as happy? Logically, twice as smart, because that can be used as a vehicle for finding a more happy path on top of its practical benefits… How would I even bring any of these questions up just out of the blue? I'd never think to ask most of these up naturally… I guess I don't really put too much thought into whatever we talk about at the train anyway, though, it's just what comes to mind, like what I've been up to… What animal would you be? That one's too easy, he'd obviously be a ca—_

 _Splash!_

Hayate jerked at the distinctively wet sound and spun around to look.

" _Runt!_ "

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 _5:33 am._

Aizawa peeked at the clock restlessly for a third time that morning. The train came at 5:34 am. Usually Hayate arrived within a minute or so of 5:29 am giving her exactly five minutes of buffer before the train arrived; sometimes a little earlier if the kittens were cooperative, sometimes slightly later if they weren't, but in either case he always knew about it since she'd tell him so. She was quite predictable, and he liked that.

So where the heck was she?

 _5:34 am._

He saw the train coming from down the tracks and gave a disgruntled hum as he started to rise. Still no sign of her. Well, his Tuesday was off to a very kitten-less start. _Must be sick or something,_ he supposed stepping up to the platform as the train's nose passed in front of him, slowing. He didn't notice the sound of footfalls approaching over the sound of the train until they were almost right behind him.

"G'morning!"

His eyelids perked up, head swiveling to see Hayate come trotting up with the cat carrier held firmly to her chest. His mood lifted at once. "Oh. Heya."

Hayate came to a stop several steps behind him. She lowered the carrier to her right side and smiled at him briefly, though turned her face away to let out a sigh of relief. "Just made it."

"Yeah. Barely." He faced forward again. "You oversleep or something?"

"Well... or something." The way she said it invited curiosity, and it made him look back at her. She wore a look like she had a story to tell that she was biting back. But the train was already here, and this wasn't their bench, so...

Huh. _Their_ bench. When did he start thinking of it like that? She glanced forward at him and met his eyes, then her eyes flicked just passed him and then back to him questioningly. "... Door's open."

He blinked and looked forward quickly. "Hm." So it is. He boarded the train and she followed after him. As was typical for them, they went to sit down in their usual spots with Hayate taking a seat near the door with carrier beside her and Aizawa walking on down a ways. But as he came to a stop at his usual seat and turned, he paused and looked back at Hayate.

The kittens and Hayate were here, but he hadn't gotten a chance for a proper greeting or petting with her arriving too late for their bench. That left him feeling dissatisfied. Passing on his usual routine just wasn't right. He gave a small hum and then he started walking back.

Hayate looked over as he caught her eye, and surprise crossed her face as he wordlessly went to the spot on the bench seat to her right with the carrier between them; just like their usual bench arrangement. "Oh—you want to sit here today?"

"What's the matter? Don't want to chat?" He replied tucking into his sleeping bag and bringing it up to his waist.

"Ah, no! Not at all! You just... don't, normally?"

"Hm." He'd give her that one. He sat down and hooked his elbows over the back of the seat in a relaxed manner. "This is becoming something of a ritual for me. Not chatting when you're here doesn't feel right." He glanced at the carrier. "Also, the kittens." 'Nuff said.

Hayate mused on that, a warm fluttery feeling stirring in her chest. He enjoyed her morning company enough to seek it out. Well, it wasn't in a _romantic_ sense, but… it still felt nice. "A ritual, huh? I guess that's one way of putting it."

"Mm-hm," He hummed, his eyes turning to the carrier already as his left hand slid from the back of the bench and started toward the zipper.

Hayate's mouth shifted into a grin. "You might want to pass on that particular tradition this morning."

His hand paused to look at her questioningly. Her grin was absolutely _begging_ the question. Fine. He'd bite. "...Why?"

She gave a sigh with an expression that was exasperated but amused. "The runt jumped in the toilet this morning."

His eyelids shot up. " _Oh_."

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 _Splash!_

Hayate spun around to see a kitten tail sticking up out of the toilet bowl. It dipped out of sight as a little face came up and a pair of tiny paws set on the rim.

" _Runt!_ " A word of disbelief and frustration.

" _Meeeeeeeeow!_ " A distressed squeal rang out.

"Oh my god, cat." Hayate hastily put her phone and toothbrush aside with an exasperated sound and spat in the sink then turn and bent to scoop the runt out. "I didn't pay attention to you for two seconds, so you jump in a toilet."

"Meeeeow!"

She lifted the kitten out by his dry scruff, toilet water streaming off his soaked legs and belly. She turned and started to quickly shift him to the sink but then hesitated for a half a second. _Oh wait, I just spit in the sink. Dang it._ She continued moving to the sink and held his dripping body over it by the scruff in one hand while running the water a bit to clear the bowl then turned the water off and sat him down in it. One of her hands braced either side of the sink as she looked at the runt and paused to think quickly.

Disbelief. Frustration. Annoyance. But through it all, a hashed-together plan forming. No time to waste; just a few minutes left before it was time to leave and she had a kitten soaked with toilet water in her sink. Hayate gave a huff. "Okay… _stay_." She scolded him with a finger and stepped back.

The sink was built into a square cabinet that stored cleaning supplies. Along the wall between the sink and the toilet were two rows of shelves. The bottom shelf she stored towels and toilet paper, the top shelf was lined with a few toiletries like her hairbrush, and then the toilet was on the wall facing the door. It was one of those models of Japanese toilets where the lid lifts automatically when motion activates it; that was actually rather important. The lid lifted whenever she walked in regardless of reason and tended to stay up as long as she was there such as while brushing her teeth as it kept detecting her motion. It was something that she was completely desensitized to and thus didn't think about anymore.

But to a short kitten who couldn't see the top of the bowl to know that the lid was up, it would just look like something to jump on no different from a chair. And then next to that chair, a shelf at an appropriate height to act as a convenient path over to the sink where Hayate was. And to an adventurous and self-centered kitten like this one, this would seem like the perfect path to explore and get to the person he wanted attention from.

Hayate pulled a towel from the bottom shelf and unfolded it quickly wiping up the trails of water on the floor then swooped down on the kitten with it and scooped him up. _You asked for it._ She opened the cabinet to scan the labels of the cleaning products searching for a particular one.

"Dang it, duh…" She shut the cabinet doors with a nudge from her food and walked hurriedly out of the room with her wet bundle. "Kitchen sink."

Into the kitchen and into _that_ sink the runt went. The facet was turned on and the runt squealed in protest at the water surrounding his toes, but the complaint went ignored with a hand restraining him. She ran him under the water and rinsed him once it was warm. Her eyes set on the bottle of particular dish soap she was after which was sitting next to the sink, and she grabbed the bottle in one hand and restrained the squealing runt in the other. One lightning-fast soapy rubdown later, the water was back on and the suds were swirling down the drain. She plucked him out of the sink and onto the towel on the counter.

"Me-eh-eh-eh-ow," the runt protested as she began a vigorous rubdown.

"You brought this on yourself, little kitty," She shot right back at him turning to shoot a look at the time. Cutting it right down to the wire. "Okay…" She looked back at the runt and lifted the towel to check his dryness. "Eh… you'll live."

He shook off leaving his head with a damp, lopsided Mohawk of fur. "Meow!"

She scooped him out of the towel and carried him over to by the front door where their travel carrier was and plopped him inside, then picked it up. "Okay, nobody move!"

Two more little kittens who most definitely _did_ move were scooped up as they scampered about and put into the carrier.

" _Meow?_ " Tenten trotted up to her hopefully for a farewell pet like usual. Hayate nearly tripped over her as she turned.

"Gah! Cat! Not right now." She was already four minutes behind schedule. She rushed passed the cat and gathered her final things then hurried out the door.

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"So… yeah. That was my morning." Hayate finished. A snort made her look over at Aizawa, and she found his shoulders shaking with a few silent laughs.

They stopped when he drew in a breath, and with a Cheshire grin he looked at her. "... What a little shit."

She stared at him in surprise for a moment, then her own mouth split in a grin and she laughed. "Hahahaha! Oh gosh, that's brilliant! But hey, you told me no puns yesterday!"

He shrugged. "Eh, you should tell better ones then."

"So you put even _puns_ to a high standard?"

"No one wants to listen to terrible jokes."

She rolled her eyes at him, but she was still giggling. Hayate watched him as he focused back on the carrier and lowered his left hand to the zipper, a toothy smile still tugging at his lips.

"Well, since you gave him a bath, I'm not deterred."

"He is still pretty damp."

"Eh…" It didn't stop him from slipping his hand inside.

Hayate kept watching him, a grin remaining glued to her lips. _… I suppose he has a nice smile._ The thought occurred to her as she lingered on his face. It was a pretty rare sight given his disposition. Even that sudden Cheshire grin; she'd always liked nice teeth, and it showed his straight and white ones. It made her thoughts drift back to earlier that morning, looking up those questions…

The smile slipped from her face. Her right hand immediately moved to her pocket to pat it down and found it empty, and that confirmed it. "… _Dang_. I forgot my phone."

Aizawa looked at her questioningly, finding her looking like she'd just remembered something with a bit of a grimace. "It's sitting right next to my toothbrush." She shot a glance at the runt with a little sigh. "You little troublemaker."

Aizawa looked down at the kitten as he pet his damp furry cheeks then back up at Hayate. "… Guess you're always reading something in the morning."

"Yeah, usually. It's just a nice long period of time for reading a book." Hayate looked a bit glum. "I'm actually kind of bummed out now. I was looking forward to the next chapter."

Aizawa looked at her for a few moments in silent thought. He did not particularly care for or against reading. It could be logical in some circumstances and illogical in others based on the material. However, she did care about it, so… well, actually, on second thought, he was mildly interested to know what sort of things she read after only acknowledging her hobby in passing so far. "… What's your book about?"

Hayate's head perked up at once and she looked at him with a smile. "Oh it's a _great_ read. The main character is a Pro Hero, and his Quirk lets him turn into animals. And his sort of 'specialty' is busting poachers of endangered species and illegal animal trades by using himself, in animal form, as live bait."

Fiction genre; inherently irrational having no presence in reality. Although, the premise wasn't so quickly dismissible; Quirks like that were uncommon, but assuming someone did have one, that was a genuinely logical use of such a Quirk applied to a real-world problem. Such a Quirk had a lot of other possibilities as well, assuming he ever did other types of jobs.

"… Hm." A 'hm' with an intrigued inflection, no less. Subtle as it was, Hayate picked up on it right away from familiarity with his mannerisms, and her voice gained some enthusiasm.

"Yeah! It's pretty clever, but it's also quite risky. He's literally painting a target on his back by making himself an enticing catch to poachers who are aiming to kill the animal, or _him_ in this case. And with the illegal trading, part of it involves letting himself be intentionally captured by dealers and remaining that way in animal form until they reach their destination so that those locations can then be shut down. He's no pushover on his own, but it's the synergy between him and his sidekicks that make their plans go smoothly and with minimal violence. Which, when you're dealing with either a group of armed poachers or a location stocked with vulnerable animals, the less action the better."

"Hm…" Logical to mitigate inherent risks like that. Realistic expectations for a given situation. Seemed like an underground type of hero dealing with the black market like that, too. Fiction, sure, but the presented scenarios could certainly be explored realistically. The strategic gears of his brain creaked to life, roused from their slumber and to action. "What are the parameters of his Quirk?"

"Hmm… It's a transformation type. He can turn into any animal who's DNA he has absorbed, which he does so by consuming it; usually a blood sample or a hair follicle, but any source will do. It then takes about one hour for the DNA to be assimilated. After that, he can turn into the animal whenever he wants. He can even combine the DNA from multiple animals to take on chimera forms, though they're a bit trickier to use."

"Mm… can't act quickly with a new form, then."

"Right. Oh, there is one other thing regarding that—the first time he turns into the animal, he feels its instincts. If he can't figure out how to reign them in, then the animal instincts take over and he loses control of himself. He'll stay like that until he either figures out to control them or his body gets tired and the animal instincts decide to go to sleep. His transformation ends with a lack of consciousness, so he'll wake up as himself again, but he'll still have to try again to control the animal's nature."

Aizawa thought on that for a few moments, his eyes pinned straight ahead while his hand kept petting the kittens without pause. "… Mm. There's a lot of ways that could go wrong. A predator species would pose a danger to others, and becoming a prey species would pose a danger to himself. The best solution then would be to contain him in a sealed location."

"Yep, exactly. There's a fair bit of trust involved with his team there again; you wouldn't really want someone you don't like having the power to lock you in a box you can't get out of."

"Meh, he's not the type of hero who can work alone at all."

"Hey, don't me wrong, he can definitely hold his own. He just knows it makes a lot more sense to work with others given his abilities." A thought occurred to Hayate and she looked at Aizawa curiously. "Hey, speaking of which—do you have any sidekicks?"

"Nah."

"Oh, why not?"

"I prefer working on my own schedule with no scrutiny or interference. Also, payroll is a hassle I'd rather not deal with. Anyway—" he waved off her question with a dismissive tone "—since they're apparently so important, who does this guy have backing him up?"

"Ah." Hayate blinked in surprise. _He's actually interested in the book!_ She pressed on eagerly. "Well, first, there's…"

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"Have a good day, Aizawa-san." She smiled warmly. "That was a wonderful chat."

"Yeah… that wasn't half bad. See you tomorrow, Hayate-san." He lifted a hand in farewell as he stepped off the train.

Her gaze followed him all the way off the train and out of sight. When he was gone, she rested her head back and smiled while closing her eyes, a warm feeling filling her chest. _I can't believe it…. We talked the whole way to his stop._

Had he actually been interested in the book itself? She doubted it; he barely spared a thought on keeping the character names straight, just referring to them by Quirk. Also…

" _Just tell me the plot, already, jeez. You keep avoiding the key points."_

" _But I don't want to spoil it for you."_

" _Like I'm ever going to read it. I don't even have the time to in the first place."_

" _Well… you might get a day off sometime."_

" _Trust me, if I get a day off anytime soon, I'm going to spend it sleeping."_

He seemed like a CliffsNotes kind of guy. It was just the mental exercise of logically evaluating the characters and the scenarios that had caught his interest. _Heh, I guess that makes sense, too. The only kind of exertion he's interested in is the kind that doesn't involve getting out of his sleeping bag. Ha, kind of weird for a guy who can move so fast!_

Hayate opened her eyes as the train started moving again and looked over at the kitten carrier beside her, focusing on the furry forms within. She took off her right glove and opened the carrier to pet them. The runt didn't hold a grudge for the bath and pushed his still-damp cheek against her fingers, purring. Contentedly, she took turns petting all three of them for the rest of her ride. Looking up those questions in front of the bathroom mirror—it seemed so distant now, despite being just that morning. _Heh… I guess I didn't really need any of them, after all._ _The way we talked… yeah. A natural conversation like that was way better, anyway._ Her smile widened and she fluffed up the runt's cheeks affectionately. _After the trouble you caused me, it actually ended up helping me out… I really want to talk to him some more._

In the evening when Hayate came home, a cat sat waiting for her just inside the door. " _Meow?"_ Tenten sauntered up to her affectionately as she came in.

"Hey, Ten." She scratched the calico's ears affectionately. "Guess I ran out on you kind of quick this morning." The cat purred happily at the attention.

Tuesday night found Hayate and Tenten curled up together in bed with a laptop reading a great digital book.

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"Say, you're pretty alert today, Aizawa-kun."

"Eh… I guess."

"Haven't seen you sleep at all. Feeling productive, huh?"

"I suppose so."

"You get a coffee this morning?"

"No."

"Just woke up feeling good? Or something else?"

"…Do you have a point, Yamada?"

"Nah, just curious… I guess kittens would brighten my morning, too."

"…"

"Come to think of it, you've been looking sharp a couple times, lately. Was that kittens, too?"

"… And your point is?"

"How come you never _told_ me?! _I_ like cute cats, too, ya know! Maybe I'd like hear to about kitten antics! Did you think about that?"

"… You having a bad day or something?"

"You remember that villain I told you about a while back? The one with the insect Quirk?"

"I suppose…"

"They're a _repeat offender_ _now!_ The police called me up because I assisted with the first arrest, asking me to help them because my Quirk is ' _perfect'_ for grabbing the insects' attention so that they can get the guy! You hear that?! _Perfect!_ —for attracting— _Insects!"_

"… … One of the kittens jumped in a toilet this morning."

"Pfft—AHAHAHA!" Aizawa's shoulders scrunched and went stiff as a board as Hizashi threw an arm around them, leaning in with a beaming grin and wiping a tear from his eye. "Ahh, that's great, I feel a bit better now. See? Sharing is caring~, Aizawa-buddy!"

Aizawa slowly detached himself from Yamada's arm and scooted away. "Right…" _Just keep that enthusiasm on your side of the desk._

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Wednesday morning, Aizawa cracked an eye open and watched in satisfaction as Hayate took a seat on their bench. On time.

"Good morning!"

"Mm… good morning. No kitten misadventures this time, I take it?"

"Hah, _no_ , not this time." Hayate had decided to keep the bathroom door closed while brushing her teeth from now on, at least until her little furry friends were out of the house.

As Aizawa got settled petting the kittens, Hayate looked over at him with an eager smile. "Got all caught up on my reading last night."

"Mm… Anything worth noting?"

"Oh yeah! A lot of things happened, and the agency ended back home in Japan."

Aizawa's brow furrowed a little as he glanced at her. "Weren't they in Africa? Why would they come here?"

"They were in South Africa. But the trail for where the illegal ivory was going led to Japan, so that's where they followed it. The ivory dealers take advantage of Japan's lax trade laws to slip illegally obtained ivory into the domestic and legal trade of antique ivory. They then can be sold in Japan's domestic market, or make their way under a guise of legality or just outright illegality into China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and elsewhere. So the agency is in a red tape, paperwork battle of sorts now following their leads for the dealers, illegal products, and buyers between all the differing laws and police of the countries involved."

"Bureaucracy at its finest. Completely irrational."

"Yeah, for sure. The agency is pretty fed up with it, too, so they're taking this relative period of physical downtime to rest up while they deal with it. The main Pro is recovering from his gunshot wounds and spending his time with all of the animal forms he picked up in Africa but didn't have the time to actually master, so he's getting quite a few new species in his arsenal. There were a lot of animals he didn't have time for since they weren't pertinent to the case directly, but he did collect their DNA."

Hayate looked off a bit distantly, a wistful look in her eyes. "Getting to experience what it would be like as all those different creatures, all their senses… I'd trade for a Quirk like that."

Aizawa didn't doubt that. It seemed right up her alley given her interests, and trading being Quirkless for Quirked was certainly a deal most would take. He didn't share the sentiment in the slightest. "Eh, that Quirk is way too much work. First collecting samples, then controlling them, and then figuring out how to fly and such… Most of those animals you'd logically never need, either. It's a complete waste of effort. Practically speaking, you'd only need a few key native species in each region. Anything beyond that is entirely superfluous."

Hayate looked over at him, an unsurprised frown on her face. "Hm, guess I'm not surprised you'd think that. But then again, I guess you're pretty satisfied with your Quirk, huh? Your Quirk's straightforward and undeniably useful."

"Erasure is not infallible. No Quirk is."

"Sure, it's not a guaranteed win, I suppose, but no one's going to turn down having a guy on their side who could turn off Endeavor's fire in one glance… heck, maybe even All Might's Quirk. That's powerful."

"And it has its drawbacks accordingly."

"Like what?"

He shuffled his non-kitten-petting arm around in his sleeping bag for a few moments. Hayate watched him curiously as he fished his arm out and held up a little bottle of eye drops. "… Dry eye."

Hayate couldn't help but snort, a personal chord being struck in a sour tone. "Seriously? That's your biggest complaint about a Quirk like that? I'd gladly take that. Hell, for an animal shifting Quirk, I'd take all its drawbacks _plus_ dry eye. Compared to what I've got, that's—"

 _Can it, Aika._ She clamped her mouth shut abruptly, taking heed to that inner voice. _Unless you really feel like telling him_ _all_ _about it._ "—… that's nothing." After a moment of hesitation, she looked away and didn't speak again as she fixed her gaze somewhere over the tracks.

Aizawa observed this transpire passively, not blinking. … _Hm._

It seemed to him like she had some insecurity about being Quirkless. Well, that wasn't uncalled for in today's society. With Quirkless individuals being the minority, it wasn't terribly uncommon for them to be singled out growing up. From the perspective of someone without a Quirk, even one with a lot of hassle like animal shifting or daily inconveniences like Erasure would be worth it… and reading about or being around people with desired abilities didn't help matters from a mental perspective. Well, not that he was inclined to assume her history; it was a just a hypothesis given her strong reaction.

"… What if you could just swap Quirks for one day? Would you try it out then? See what it's like to be a cat?" Her voice cut through his thoughts as she looked back at him, whatever irritation that had possessed her having passed.

"Hell no."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Petting cats is pleasant. Being the cat petted though, with a human mind? I want people to stay the hell away from me, not try to touch me all the time."

"Well… I mean, there's more to being a cat than that, I think you could explore those aspects, maybe? Night vision at least seems cool, plus their reflexes and balance… Nobody would give you odd looks for sleeping wherever you want, and cats nap most of the day away with no one bothering them."

"There's technology for night vision if I ever need it. My physical abilities are satisfactory without being a feline. I don't care what other people think, and I already sleep at every opportunity. It'd just add to my problems, like having to worry about dogs, dealing with other cats, having a much better sense of smell for unpleasant things, and having to kill and eat things raw. No thanks. I'll stick to petting them."

 _Good grief, even being the one animal he likes the most for one measly day is illogical._ Hayate frowned at his lack of an adventurer's spirit, gears turning. _Hm…_ Her eyes drifted to the side thoughtfully for a moment, then a spark of inspiration lit up a smile as she looked back at him.

"Hm… well, if you were an animal, I think you'd be a black leopard."

Aizawa shot a bland glance at her. _Still on about this topic, huh?_ Her smile was confident as she gave him her reasoning.

"It makes the most logical sense to me. The dark color to match your clothes, and it's a cat, obviously—but not one that anyone could just walk up to and pet. They like to sleep a lot, too, plus they're solitary. When it comes to hunting, they prefer a stealthy ambush style just like you specialize in, and you both like to work at night. The way you move is even similar, too; they can shoot right up a tree completely effortlessly. And if you ever see one up close compared to a human, it's kind of surprising how relatively small they seem; it's a bit underwhelming—heh, kind of like you! But they're impressively strong for their size and can take out things much larger; like how you fight mutant-type opponents. They aren't the biggest of cats, but they hold their own competing in the same environment as larger predators like lions. They're a really cool animal—and I think that's just like you."

Hayate studied him with an expectant smile. _That's… kind of a nudge, yeah?_

Aizawa was rather taken aback by such a thorough assessment practically out of the blue, looking at her with his eyes widened in surprise. Sure, it was a completely useless hypothetical question, but being put in the same ring as a top cat like that was unexpectedly complimentary. Her patiently waiting gaze didn't escape him, either. _Jeez, you really like this sort of idea, huh?_

He looked forward with a faint sigh, but there was a reluctant ghost of a smile on his lips. "… Hm. Just one day as that, huh? Fine, I suppose that would be acceptable. And what would you be?" He sent an expectant glance her way.

"What do you think I'd be?" She shout back with a smirk.

 _Of course, going to drag me into it._ "Cheh… fine, I'll play along." Hayate watched him with rapt attention as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, thinking in silence for a long time. _This is so irrational…_ An animal that matched her, huh? He wasn't invested in knowing different animals. That sort of limited things. Fine, then, starting with her characteristics instead, what defined her? After a great deal of brain-wracking, he opened his eyes. _But I suppose, since she asked for it…_

"Hm… maybe something that uses camouflage."

Hayate didn't follow, her brow furrowing a little. "Uh… how do you figure?"

"Some sort of animal that seems one way, then when you get closer to it it's a different way."

Her smile faded out, brow scrunching a little more. "… Like, for instance…?"

He struggled for a bit. "… An octopus? Or, a snake? The kinds that blend in with leaves, I guess. It just looks like something nice at first, then you get closer and find something that can bite."

She frowned a little, trying to follow his logic as it related to her and finding something not exactly complimentary. "… So something two-faced?"

"Eh, that's not it… it's in a likeable way."

"Um… You like being tricked?"

"Not particularly. But I do like clever thinking. Like that coffee ruse you pulled."

"Oh." Her brow smoothed out, a little relieved. That sounded a bit better. "Hm… Ravens and crows are notorious for tricky behavior, and they're very clever."

"Nah," he dismissed immediately. "They're annoying sounding. That's not like you at all."

 _Oh. Well… that's good, at least._ "Hm… well, lots of animals use camouflage, both predators and prey… maybe starting there, which do you think?"

Aizawa looked distant in thought for a moment. She didn't seem like the type who would kill things, so prey. But he didn't really get the sense that she was a runner, given that snarky streak she had. So prey that stood its ground, then? Nothing in particular stood out to him. His face scrunched with an exasperated sigh. _This is completely nonsensical._ "I don't know. I give up." He looked at her. "I'm sure you've given the question some thought."

Hayate observed his mildly annoyed features and took the hint of his decreasing patience. "Ah, well, that's alright." She looked straight. "Yeah, I've thought about it… I think I'd be a rabbit."

"Rabbit?" His tone was a little surprised. Something small, timid, and at the bottom of the food chain prone to running away or freezing up? "Eh. That doesn't seem like a match."

"Oh?" She looked back at him with a curious look. "Why's that?"

"They're too meek," he offered bluntly.

"Oh." She ducked her head with a bit of a smile at that. That was kind of complementary. "… Well, maybe rabbits deserve a little more credit than you're giving. At first glance, they are rather flighty; especially in the wild, running is their instinct. But they can put up quite a fight against each other, or if they get backed into a corner, so maybe that can fulfill your camouflage bit. Pet rabbits are curious and smart; you can teach them a lot of things. And perhaps they seem quiet and timid from the outside, but they actually make quite a few vocalizations, and they can form complex social relationships in their colonies and close bonds with their mates and friend groups… People kind of underestimate them a lot, I think."

Aizawa listened observing her in silence. Hearing someone describe what they thought of themselves could be rather revealing. The impression he was left with after that comparison was that, like his limited first impression of the rabbit, there was more to her that he had yet to see. He looked forward over the tracks.

"… Hm. I wouldn't recommend being a rabbit for a day. You'd probably get eaten."

"Hahaha! Oh yeah, you're totally right. If I only had one day, I'd rather be something like an eagle; make the most of it at the top of the food chain. Wouldn't mind flying as a change of commute, either… Ah. Speaking of which."

He glanced over and saw her looking down the tracks, and then he saw the train approaching as well. The end of their chat time having been marked, Aizawa took his hand out of the carrier and zipped it up and then they both stood up and approached the platform.

When they boarded, Hayate took her usual seat with the carrier and Aizawa started to walk past. His feet stopped, suddenly torn as he cast a glance back at the empty spot next to the carrier that he'd sat down in the day before. _There's no practical need to…_ He stood still for a moment, then he turned back. _… But likewise, there's no practical need not to, either._

Hayate looked over and watched in surprise as he took a seat beside her on the other side of the carrier again, though this time he tucked fully into his sleeping bag bringing the zipper all the way up to his chin. He did not look at her and closed his eyes straight away making his intention to sleep as he usually did clear, but the fact that that he had sat here and not over there further down the train made a satisfied smile come to her face and a bit of warmth from those hidden feelings flare up.

She spared him another silent glance then took out her phone to continue reading just as she normally did. They did not speak a word the whole ride unlike the day before, but it did not bother her in the slightest for he had chose to sit close by with no ulterior motive such as a missed opportunity to chat or pet the kittens this time around, and the comfort he showed in being with her to do that was satisfying enough.

When the time was right and the train slowed, his eyes opened. Hayate's gaze shifted to the shuffling sound of his sleeping bag as he stepped out of it. He folded it over his shoulder and straightened as the train came to a stop. At last, he finally spared her a first glance.

"See you tomorrow, Hayate-san." He started walking.

"You too. Have a good one, Aizawa-san."

And then he was gone and the bench beside her empty save for the carrier. Her eyes lingered on the train door for a few moments after he departed her line of sight, then slowly they returned to her phone with a faint, content smile on her lips.

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"Good morning." A good Thursday morning as Hayate took a seat.

"Morning." Aizawa cracked an eye open to glance at her briefly before moving on to the kittens.

She didn't add anything after that, just settling into her seat and smiling at him for a moment before looking forward. Her mind this morning was quiet like the comfortable silence that grew between them. Her toes did tap a little as she looked at the clear, 5-am-sky and thought.

 _Let's see… what to talk about today… Not too much moving along in the book, hmm… Three days of that is probably getting old, anyway… I think he kind of liked that 'nudge' though, black leopards are badass… is it too soon for another one? Mm, what would it be, anyway? Anything that's come up this week…?_ After a bit of thought, her mind did recall one thing. Her eyes returned to him, a nervous flutter rising in her gut as she roused a shy smile.

"Hey, I've been thinking to say this… You have a nice smile."

"Huh?" His kitten-hand stopped and he looked up at her blankly.

The lack of any enthusiasm in his stare nearly made her look away, but she buckled down and maintained her eye contact and smile.

"… Thanks?" He eventually answered slowly, his tone holding a hint of suspicion.

"You're welcome," she answered genuinely, then she let herself look away perhaps a bit shyly. _Whew… nudge successful._

"…"

"…"

He waited for the punchline, but it never came. "… Wait, you're not joking? You like that toothy grin?"

Hayate blinked and looked back at him in confusion. "Huh? No, I'm not joking. Why would you think I was?"

"Well… that's not exactly a smile people are supposed to like. I pull that when I'm messing with people, you know."

"Oh, you do? Huh… come to think of it, that actually makes sense." She gained a thoughtful look as she reflected back on the few times she'd seen that big grin. "Well, I like your normal smile, too."

"… Huh…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… So where'd that come from?"

"Ah, just something I noticed."

"… That because you're an animal dentist?"

"Uh—? N-No! Haha…! No, I just like nice teeth." The air hung thick with silence in the wake of his dead response and Hayate squirmed internally, eager to break it as she spoke quickly. "Gosh, that does make it sound like it's because I'm an animal dentist, hahaha… well, dental technician, at least." She gave an awkward cough. _Good grief, this isn't working… Abort!_ "Uh, hey! Speaking of work, got that list of kitten names together." She looked over at the carrier. "Will be naming this lot tomorrow."

She watched his hand petting them through the mesh for a moment. "… Um, you know, I was thinking… you ought to leave your mark on these little fellas. I mean, you've seen them nearly every day, so… I think you should name one of them." She looked up at him with an offered smile. "I was thinking the runt."

His heavy eyelids squinted a little as he gave a disinclined grumble. "Thanks for your consideration, but I'll pass."

 _I knew he'd say that._ She dug in her heels. "Oh come _on_."

"We've already gone over this. Names aren't my thing."

"It's just one name."

"Kitty."

"Okay, _one_ name with _some_ effort put into it."

He gave a mighty sigh like it was the greatest chore in the world. _Completely pointless, they'll respond to anything… not that you're going to let it drop, I'll bet._ "Fine… just call him 'Shit Head'."

Hayate balked. "What?! _No!_ "

"Why not? He jumped in a toilet," he shot back indifferently in the face of her indignation. "Also, you said I should leave a mark on them, so… Eraser— _Head_ , Shit— _Head._ There you go."

"Absolute not." Hayate scowled at him. _Unbelievable!_ "I can't believe you'd name a cat Shit Head."

"Well if the shoe fits."

"He's a cat. He doesn't wear any shoes."

"Glad you're not one of those people."

"The kind that dresses up their pets?"

"Mm-hm."

"Well, I suppose it would depend on the pet. I mean, of course I'd get a sweater for a hairless cat, or a dog like a greyhound—hey! You're dodging the point." She pointed a finger at him, her voice firm. "Not Shit Head. Come up with something better."

"Haven't we already established I'm not good with names? Shit Head should have confirmed it."

"Well then think extra-long and hard on it. Come on, just _one_ good name." She collected her composure for a moment with a bit of a huff, then relaxed her features in a compelling, earnest look. " _I_ think you're a smart enough guy to figure it out, so I have complete trust in your ability to come up with one name that meets _my_ standards."

He held her gaze in silence for a few moments. _Pulling the 'high standards' card and a compliment of expectations in one go, huh? Jeez._ Aizawa gave another grumble, but his resistance did finally wear thin. "… If it'll get you stop going on about it, fine. I'm not naming the others, though."

"That's perfectly acceptable." Hayate nodded, satisfied that he'd finally agreed. "… Also, come up with it by tomorrow morning."

"Jeez, you're giving me homework? I've outgrown that stage of my life, you know."

"I'm pretty darn sure any of your students would gladly trade naming a kitten for their usual homework… You aren't one of those people who complain like a fifteen-year-old, are you?"

His lips pursed shut, pushing out with a displeased pout aimed out across the tracks. You'd _sooner put a sweater on a cat than catch me doing that._ "... You've got a lot of bite for a rabbit."

"Well, their teeth never stop growing."

He… couldn't think of a comeback to a factoid like that. Instead, he scowled at her in displeasure for a moment then down at the runt. _Great, now you're causing me trouble, too._ The unaware kitten kept purring into his hand, eyes closed and lips content. Damn cat; couldn't be mad at him with a furry smile like that. His scowl did break finally as he looked away with a huff. _A name, huh? Fine, shouldn't be too hard to find something passable._

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 _Mochi [rice cake]... Momo [peach]… Ichigo [strawberry]... Why the hell are all these names food? Kayda [little dragon], Keiko [adored one], Daiki [great nobility]—ridiculously overstated. Cho [butterfly], Mausu [mouse], Rini [little bunny]—it's a cat, dammit, just call it a cat. Koneko [kitten], there. But no, that's not going to meet_ _expectations_ _, jeez. These are highly illogical. Just call it what it is._

"What's this?"

Aizawa cringed, his fingers curling into claws and shoulders hunching at the voice coming from over his shoulder. Yamada leaned in with a beaming look.

"Oh my gosh! You _are_ getting a cat!"

"I'm not."

"Then why are you looking up cat names, huh?!"

"I was asked to."

"So your kitten will come with a name!"

" _I'm not getting a cat._ "

"Riiight," Yamada said sliding into his chair beside the glaring Aizawa. "I'll act surprised, promise, kay?"

Aizawa's hands curled into fists for a moment, then suddenly unfurled and relaxed as the irate expression vanished from his features. _Ignore him; that's the logical thing to do. He's just trying to goad me into a response._ Aizawa didn't grace the other Hero with a reply, instead closing the tab with cat names and taking a sip from his lunch shake as he pulled up some school work to do instead. He'd just look it up again later when no one was around…

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Friday dawned, and Aizawa had not, in fact, look up any names again. His lack of ambition for the task aside, he had far better things to do with his time. But as Hayate came to their bench and took a seat, the slightly wary look in the glance he shot her betrayed his dread over the coming annoyance she would no doubt badger him with.

"Good morning."

"… Morning."

Hayate smiled at him for a moment, then her eyes shifted down to the carrier. Her smile twitched into a smirk. Aizawa paused in unzipping his sleeping bag to pet the kittens like he usually did as Hayate moved for the carrier instead. Her hand slipped in and under the runt's belly as she took hold of then pulled him out of the carrier cradled on her hand.

Aizawa shifted in surprise as she leaned towards him, and he quickly drew a hand out to receive the kitten she deposited on him.

"Meow!" The kitten looked up at him. Aizawa stared back at the mustached kitten for a moment then back at Hayate, who was still leaned his way a little with a smile that was pleasant if not a little mischievous.

"So… you have a name?"

Her words stirred him to action. "Mm… getting right to it, huh?" His eyes dropped back to the runt as he started to climb up the puffy fabric of his sleeping bag, and he shifted his other hand out as well to gather around the kitten. For the runt's part, he didn't seem to mind being restrained by the familiar hands or being brought close to the warm human's shirt. Aizawa looked at him for a bit, quite satisfied with the arrangement himself let alone the kitten. Then he gave a huff. "Fine… name's Koneko [kitten]."

Hayate made an incredulous face. " _Aizawa-san…_ You did think of names, didn't you?"

"Yes, of course," he deadpanned. "Just figured I'd start with the most logical one first."

"Alright, and the other ones…?"

Truth be told, he had absolutely nothing after Koneko. It was the only one that met his criteria of not striking him as ridiculous in some manner, although as he suspected it had fallen short of her expectations for a good name. _How the hell she even defining a good name, anyway? If it was such a big deal, she should have given me parameters to follow._

His mind grasped for straws, willing to find anything passable at this annoying point. The kitten was tiny; he was a runt, after all. An attention-seeker based on the toilet incident… and a bit of a troublemaker. Hayate said he was the loudmouth of the three as well. Did that remind him of anything at all?

His eyes sharpened a little. Yes, someone scrawny, animated, who craved the spotlight, was definitely not above bugging others with pranks, and was ridiculously loud…

"... Mic."

Hayate looked at him blankly. "M-I-K-E? Am English name?"

"No. M-I-C," he explained, lightly tapping the kitten on the nose as a deterrence as it started inching interestedly towards his Capturing Weapon's coils. "Like 'microphone'."

"... Huh." She tried to wrack her brain. Yeah, that was a weird choice, alright. "What inspired you?"

"He's loud, and micro-sized," Aizawa replied simply. Like hell he'd tell her his real reasoning. Saying that the kitten reminded him of someone would beg the question of who and he wasn't going to open up that discussion.

Hayate giggled with a hand going to her mouth. "Wow, that's so straightforward... but that's you, I suppose... Mic… hm. I think that name'll do."

 _Good. Because like hell am I coming up with another._

His eyes stayed on the kitten for it remained undeterred in its upward advance towards the fabric. He picked up the kitten and moved it down further down on his torso, earning its playful ire with paws and teeth at the ready. He teased the newly dubbed "Mic" for a bit, a faint smile he didn't realize coming to his lips. A lot of effort to entertain the feline, a bit of a waste of time, really, but he didn't mind having it around… Suddenly, his teasing hands went stiff and the smile vanished.

"Oh jeez."

Having been watching on with happy satisfaction, Hayate tensed up too at his sudden shift. "What?"

His teasing hand drew away from the kitten and covered his eyes, holding the kitten away. "I see what you're doing."

"What?" She looked confused.

His hand pulled back just enough to peer at her with an accusatory sidelong look. "Once you name it, you want to keep it. Isn't that right?"

She understood and immediately blushed, throwing her hands up. "Th-That's not what I'm doing!" She protested.

He still peered at her, unimpressed. "Uh-huh."

"It's really not!" She sounded a little more desperate. Her eyes dropped to the side, voice lowering. "... It's alright if you don't want to adopt him, really. I understand it's not a responsibility everyone wants… and he is a handful, that's for sure. I just think you should get to make the most of this time with the kittens still around. They'll be grown and gone before you know it, so enjoy it fully while it lasts… right? That's a good use of time."

Aizawa's incredulity disappeared, his hand dropping away from his face. He considered her words and looked at her in thought for a minute, then down at Mic: yet again, trying to climb up to his Capturing Weapon. The time with these kittens being limited was something that he had acknowledged himself well before she brought it up now. Making the most out of that time was a sentiment he could fully support logically; time was a precious, irreplaceable resource, and it was true that time with these kittens was something that could not be gotten back if missed out on. Having seen them grow from blind and helpless at just a few days old to now being fully mobile troublemakers, he knew that time passed quickly. And the thought nagged in the back of his mind that she had been right to bring it up, for the time they had left before the adoption event was five weeks, but the time that he would cross paths with them here in the mornings was likely far less once summer break arrived… time was of the essence.

The feline Mic reached the coiled fabric, but Aizawa's hands did not move to stop the kitten this time. "Hm… you make a good point."

Hayate looked back at him questioningly. He was smiling at the kitten, unfurling one end of his weapon to flick it in front of Mic's face.

"It would be a waste of time not to utilize an opportunity fully."

Hayate's features lifted with a smile. She didn't look away from him and Mic as he continued to entertain the kitten there on his chest. It was exactly what she wanted to see.

And when the train came, it wasn't until it had nearly pulled to a stop that she even acknowledged it with a glance and the thought that it was time to rise. She looked at Aizawa expectantly, anticipating him to return the kitten, but to her surprise he did not even look at her as he got up out of his sleeping bag while holding Mic in one hand.

"Um…" She tried to catch his attention as he gathered up his stuff and took a step towards the train. He paused and glanced her way. "I should put him back in the carrier for on the train."

He seemed to consider that for a moment then smirked. He nudged the kitten up into the coils of his weapon making Mic disappear from sight altogether, then kept walking forward without a word. Hayate's lips parted a little in a smile of disbelief, then she shook her head a little and followed after without further comment.

They sat beside each other on the train with the carrier between them. Hayate watched him furtively for a bit, smirking when a little kitten head poked out now and then, or just a pair of ears over the top of the fabric loops that Aizawa left uncovered while the rest of him was wrapped up as usual in the yellow bag, then she pulled out her phone and settled into her own morning routine without any concern for the little kitten.

It wasn't until Aizawa's stop arrived that she looked back at him with a smile, expecting him to pass the kitten back at any moment or return Mic to the carrier himself. But much to her surprise, Aizawa didn't even look at her or the carrier as he shuffled out of the sleeping bag and folded it over his shoulder. Mic was held to his chest within the coils of the Capturing Weapon with the other hand, his face poking out under Aizawa's chin. Without even an acknowledgement of her, Aizawa started to walk away from the bench. Okay, now that was cause for concern.

"Uh—Aizawa?" She sounded a bit alarmed, lifting off the bench a little with a hand raised.

He turned on his heel. "Heh. Just kidding." He held the kitten out by the scruff for her to take.

She rolled her eyes with a little huff, smiling, realizing his trick. "Well, I suppose that would have been illogical… unless you've gotten kitten formula stashed in that sleeping bag."

"Hm, good idea for next time. It is pretty ideal for 'smuggling' kittens." A toothy grin that was clearly playing the moment let her call him on his B.S.

Hayate chuckled and accepted the offered kitten, bringing him to her chest as he meowed happily at yet more attention that morning. "Well, I guess that was my idea in the first place." She smiled at the kitten for a moment and stroked his head, then looked up and met Aizawa's eyes watching her. Her smile grew a little, feeling warm inside.

"… Have a nice day, Aizawa-san."

"You too, Hayate-san." He held her eye for a moment then turned away, a bit of a grin still holding to his own lips as he walked off the train.

The grin followed him for a number of paces before it slid into neutrality. A few more, and his expression transitioned into something more serious, brow and mouth settling into a frown aimed at the sidewalk as he walked. Something didn't feel right here; that was the sensation that had struck him in the moments after parting ways with Hayate and the kitten named Mic. Teasing her like that… a joke like that wasn't like him.

 _Damn, that was ridiculous… what a completely nonsensical thing to do._

He kept frowning at the ground, trying to puzzle out this unsettled feeling.

… _So why then… Why do I keep bothering with this?_

It was such an extraneous thing, spending time on these completely trivial conversations. The book they discussed was a fictional construct possessing no influence on reality. It was meaningless to think about what animal someone would be if they weren't human. Names were insignificant to him beyond being a stamp of identification, and for a cat that would tolerate any name and still coming meowing, a good name was even less relevant. And yet, he was partaking in it with her. It wasn't rational at all…

… Or was it? His eyes widened a little at the thought. The usual logical quips that rose up in his mind in the face of such irrational activities had been there every time, yet he had continued on against them. It wasn't until afterwards in self-reflection that he contemplated how irrational he was being… and how exasperating that feeling was. And the reason for that… somewhere in his mind, the seemingly illogical had struck a logical cord.

Talking in the mornings was just what they did now. This brief window of time in each of his days had started out just as a fair exchange in his mind; pointless small talk for the pleasure of kittens. But it was becoming increasingly unbalanced, it seemed, with more and more conversation working its way in… since the coffee ruse, then that weekend. Yes, that weekend in particular seemed to be what had done it. Spending that time with her outside of their scheduled train talks had shifted the balance all this week, letting more and more of the irrationality stack to one side of the scale… and he didn't do anything to try to stop it.

There was a precedence for irrationality, he supposed. It had been there from the very start of their unspoken trade, so perhaps that's why he had such a tolerance for it there and only there at the train station while shunning the unnecessary, extraneous, and wasteful from all other areas of his life whenever possible. And that tolerance extended to those other times—Suzu café, the TNR—because the source of that irrational behavior, Hayate, was the common thread. And she was… well.

Illogical, yes, like the rest of the world that surrounded him with her inclination for trivial conversation and her enthusiasm for non-necessities like specialty coffees. But she also proved more than that with her actions. She picked his sleeping bag out of the road and tended to it, caring for his things and well-being. "I'm sorry" she had told him not out of sympathy for his lifestyle but for having misjudged him on her first impression. Between pulling him along to the TNR which had proved to be surprisingly enjoyable and urging him into conversation or naming a kitten, she did have a streak of that Plus Ultra spirit which demanded one to step beyond familiar territory. It was these latter, logical qualities that tipped that scale back to an even level.

Talking to someone like that about irrational things was, if he thought about it from a different angle, logical as a whole because of what it stood for rather than its specific parts. Because a person who would look past outward appearances, admit their mistakes, push someone else to go beyond their comfort zone, and care about others—logically, a person like that was…

… _Someone worth talking to._

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 **-Aizawa's thoughts paraphrased in case I wasn't clear: The specific things that they are talking about might be illogical, but the act of building a relationship with someone possessing worthwhile qualities** _ **is**_ **logical.**

 **-We are officially getting the ball gently rolling into romance territory. Did it surprise anyone that Hayate made the first moves?**

 **-Several people have asked if Eraser Head's friends notice anything going on—not really. He's just as logical as usual. But one of them has got a good nose…**

 **-The book that Hayate was talking about was an OC I made a while back and his story, which I felt like slipping in because I like it a lot. Probably will never get around to writing it, though. His Quirk drew inspiration from the book series** _ **Animorphs**_ **I read back in my teens—anyone else read that?**

 **-I just want to clarify that Meow takes place somewhere in-between Vigilantes and the start of MHA (I don't know where Vigilantes will end, though, so can't say** _ **exactly**_ **where). I think I'd classify it as an AU that follows the canon plot closely. Speaking of which, if you don't read Vigilantes already—first off, you should, it's great, and secondly, Chapter 48 has some pictures of Aizawa dressed up that are absolute** _ **GOLD**_ **.**

 **-Lastly, thank you to everyone who takes the time to review, it has really made me happy that so many people enjoy reading this story as much I do writing it. Your words bring a smile to my face every time :3**


	11. The World Beyond Their Bench

**We're shaking things up in this chapter.**

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 _Monday morning…_

"Say, it must be close to the end of your spring term at school."

"Yeah. This is the last week."

"So till July 19th, and then it will be summer break… huh. When does the next term begin?"

"September 2nd."

"… Huh."

Aizawa looked up briefly from the kitten named Mic laying on his chest this fine morning and glanced over at Hayate; they hadn't gone to Kasuya's that weekend, which made for a pleasant surprise today. He found Hayate looking rather thoughtful. "… Why do you ask?"

"Ah, I guess I was just wondering what your summer looked like." She looked away, secretly feeling a bit shy. "I'll still be working my usual days, of course… my weekends are free, though. Maybe we could get a coffee together, sometime?"

He thought about it for a moment and found it agreeable, then returned his attention to the kitten. "Mm… I suppose so. The number of days we'll cross paths in the morning… hm. They'll be slim, if any."

"Huh?" Hayate quickly looked back at him in a startled way. "What do you mean?"

"Well, with school not being in session, I don't have to go in nearly as many days. And the days I do, I don't have to come in until later anyway, so it's pointless to take a train this early instead of just sleeping another few hours." He finished his reasoning looking rather unbothered at the snuggling kitten.

"… Oh." Hayate's eyes dropped away from him. _And that means…_ Her stomach sunk and her heart picked up its pace with a dawning realization at his words. _I don't have_ _four_ _more weeks with him before the adoption; I only have this_ _one_ _!_ In a single morning, her plan of taking her time getting to know him had just been put into overdrive.

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 _Later that morning…_

"Hey, Eraser Head!"

The man in question tensed as he recognized the voice. He looked up over the top of his computer screen to the tall, muscular hero standing there with eyes set on him. Blood Hero: Vlad King.

"Listen up! It's finals week, and that means you'd better get Class A to give it their all! You got that?" The Pro announced gruffly.

Eraser's eyes flicked back down to his screen and he kept typing. "Eh… sure—"

"Because it's got to mean something when Class B surpasses their scores!"

Eraser's fingers stopped typing and his eyes slowly slid back up to Vlad fixing him with an unamused stare. "… Rather presumptuous of you there, Vlad King."

"Hmph!" Vlad's fangs flashed in a wry smirk, clearly satisfied with the venom he'd roused his taciturn rival into spitting. "I've got full faith in the growth of my class! If you don't want to see my confidence in them, then prove me wrong!" He turned without waiting for a response and walked away.

Beside Eraser, Mic and Midnight both watched on not-so-subtly.

Midnight sighed. "Looks like Vlad's rearing to go for this week."

"Is there ever a time when he's not ready to take a nip at Aizawa, though?" Mic pointed out. He then spun up out of his chair and pointed his finger down over Eraser's head like a spotlight. "Come on, BUDDY! Stand yer' ground! You gonna take that sitting down?!"

"Well I don't feel inclined to stand."

"Don't be like that! Your class honor is on the line here! Have a bit of pride, man!"

"I don't give a damn what he says," Erasure shot back flatly, a flare of irritation disrupting his monotone as he went back to work. "Fools say all manner of things, and words alone hold nothing to results."

Midnight and Mic fell silent with the latter slumping out of his pose. He looked back at her and they shared a mutual look as if Eraser had said the most predictable thing in the world, then Mic settled into his chair and they carried on with their work without further comment. Dragging this conversation up again was a legitimate waste of time, and not just in Eraser Head's opinion. For Vlad King and Eraser Head were, well…

They had been incompatible right from the start.

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 _Several months ago, prior to the start of the current school year…_

"Aizawa Shouta, Erasure Hero: Eraser Head. Nice to work with you."

A room full of Pro Hero teaching staff studied the newcomer to their ranks. He made a rather weak impression looking like he'd just rolled out of bed after staying out all night and decided to lazily throw on the same clothes he'd worn the day before, especially alongside the sleekly-dressed Present Mic. Actually, given his reputation, which was elusive and disinclined for anything social, it was entirely possible. But a Pro Hero he was regardless, and no one doubted the competency with which he wielded the Capturing Weapon around his neck.

A short mouse-like creature wearing a suit clapped his paws together. "It's always wonderful to welcome new minds into our teaching program. But you two aren't new at all to this school! I hope it proves insightful to have two alumni use their past experiences to push their school to even greater heights—truly, Plus Ultra!"

The creature rambled on for about another minute that Eraser Head didn't listen to before Midnight interjected with a shout-out to Mic which finally got the principle to take a hint and proceed much to everyone's thankfulness. Teaching at a hero school was certainly a good career option for a Pro, letting them pass down that knowledge to the future generations. But staff turnover was a fact of life even for the greatest of hero schools. Eventually those same veterans looked wistfully to the peaceful days of retirement, and new blood came in to take their place. At U.A., it was a hand-off carried out in a practical manner.

Throughout the final year of the current teacher's career, their replacement would come in on various days and work alongside them. This enabled the senior teacher to acquaint the junior with all key events related to the school year as they applied to U.A. specifically and pass on their teaching experience. In this way, no one was thrust in front of U.A.'s elite expectations bus as an absolute newcomer.

As far as Eraser Head was concerned, he was darn-near giddy to finally be free to exert his own authority. It was no secret that teachers at U.A. were allowed to assess students in the hero course according to their own discretion. Based on what he'd experienced the past year observing his senior, there was plenty of irrationality to be trimmed from U.A.'s program.

He took a seat for the first time at the desk which had been his senior's; now his own. Mic of course took the free desk to his left. It seemed he had barely gotten settled in when someone interrupted him.

"Hey."

Eraser looked up. A tall and heavily-muscled hero wearing a red suit with white gauntlets. He seemed to sport a perpetually grumpy pout thanks to the fanged underbite he sported, and the short grey spiky hair and red eyes didn't make him look any less intimidating. This was, of course, the Blood Hero: Vlad King, and his gaze was set firmly on Eraser Head.

Over the past year of the teacher mentorship, Eraser hadn't spoken much to this man beyond an introduction and an occasional comment. Most of what he'd gleaned about Vlad had come from observing and overhearing his interactions with the senior hero Eraser replaced.

This isn't to say Eraser had gone out of his way to avoid the other hero. More like, the two of them simply had never been in the same room together long enough for a proper discussion. Eraser ducked out of any conversations amongst the teachers to go get a nap as soon as he could and declined social invitations for drinks after hours because he had hero duties, properly avoiding Vlad right along with everyone else. So what could it be that Vlad intended to say? Eraser couldn't fathom it.

"Now that you're official, Eraser, I just wanted to say that you're welcome to discuss any matters with me as the other hero course teacher. I'll gladly lend you my experience."

Ah. That was reasonable. Eraser was about to voice a polite 'thanks' when Vlad's lips suddenly turned up in a spirited smirk.

"Also—as Class A's new teacher, get ready to pick up the mantle of our class rivalry! Giving our classes a challenger to overcome always gets the kids' blood pumping. Your predecessor gave me a run for my money every year, so I'm looking forward to seeing what you bring. I won't hold back just because it's your first year, so give it your all!" Vlad seemed suddenly pumped up, his eyes glinting expectantly for a witty rebuttal the likes of which he'd become accustomed to from Class A's previous head.

But Eraser Head was not that person. He offered a dead stare in return for Vlad's enthusiasm and call to action. Eraser had picked up on Vlad's competitive spirit over the past year of brief observations, but getting hit with it in the face on his first official day in office was extremely off-putting from its sheer ridiculousness and illogicalness. He turned his head back to his computer dismissively.

"Whatever. Thanks."

Vlad King's spirited smirk departed in an instant for a look of irritation at such a blatant dismissal. "Tch…" He turned and walked off looking grumpy again. That reply confirmed in his mind the coldness and disinterest in what little he'd seen of the man over the past year. It didn't bode well for Vlad's opinion of him. Vlad's fighting spirit, however, was still burning bright. Regardless of whatever Eraser Head did with the challenge, it didn't change a single thing of what Vlad would do.

Behind him, back at Eraser's desk, the other newcomer with yellow hair leaned over to his desk mate.

"Sheesh, Aizawa-kun! It's your first day at school, play nice with the other kids!"

Eraser frowned in annoyance. "I'm not the one who went looking for a fight."

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 _The first day of the current school year…_

From that first encounter onward, their relationship had not improved.

"Eraser Head! What's the meaning of this?!" A displeased-looking Vlad suddenly appeared at Eraser's desk and leaned forward over his computer screen, demanding his attention.

Eraser's eyes flicked up to meet the red glare, feeling slightly annoyed by such a brash interruption to his work. "… Going to have to be more precise than that, Vlad King. Meaning of what? Life?"

"You're expelling half of your class! That's what I've heard, am I right?!"

"Yes."

When Eraser didn't elaborate, Vlad's lip lifted in a snarl. "And what's the meaning of _that?!_ "

Eraser's eyes returned to his screen and he continued typing as he replied. "They didn't meet my standards."

"Didn't meet—? It's the first day of school!"

"And?" Eraser didn't stop typing.

Vlad's teeth clenched for a few moments before he snapped. " _And_ that's far too critical! Give the kids a chance!"

"That would be a waste of time. I've seen enough."

"A waste? _Those kids?_ No… a waste is what you're doing, throwing them out like this!"

"Teachers here at U.A. are given the authorization to manage their classes at their discretion. That includes expulsion."

"That's not so you can cut them loose on a whim!"

"If you would like to see my reasoning, ask Nezu for the individual assessments I submitted. I can assure you, it wasn't on a 'whim'. It was the logical conclusion after thoroughly evaluating their past academic performance, entrance exam placements, Quick assessments, and direct observation."

" _Logical…?_ " Expelling students on their very first day? Right after their hard work to make it here to the top hero school in the nation? Crushing their dream? Cutting them loose without support? That— _logical?_ "You can take that logic and shove it up your ass!"

Eraser's hands finally did stop typing at that one. His eyes lifted and returned Vlad's fuming gaze with a glower. Eraser was down to his last string of patience and Vlad's had snapped. Eraser opened his mouth.

"This is U.A. It is a school for _the best_. I'm not lowering my standards or changing my mind so that less than that occupies my time. But if that's where your standards are, then feel free to accept them into your class."

The insinuation made Vlad absolutely bristle. He leaned forward further with a glare locked on Eraser's eyes. "You really are a piece of work, Eraser! You want to standards? I'll shut you up with the standards of Class B! These kids are going to show you just how damn wrong you are, and so am I!" He pulled back suddenly and stalked off, still growling under his breath. "We'll see what you have to say then."

Eraser watched him go without comment, a scowl on his face when his eyes did return to his computer and he resumed typing. Beside him, Mic and Midnight had watched the whole thing with their eyes wide and mouths a bit open; right along with the other teachers in the room.

Mic spoke first, his eyes sliding to Eraser. "Whew… o- _kayyyy_. That was something."

"Don't start with me," Eraser shot back, definitely not in the mood for any teasing remarks.

Midnight frowned at that and objected, lifting a hand. "Hey now, that's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black."

"I'm not the one being aggressive."

She scoffed. "You are the most passive-aggressive guy in this room with that snarky mouth of yours. You definitely could have handled that better."

"I have work to do."

Midnight looked displeased and opened her mouth to speak again, but Mic shifted in front of her line of sight of Eraser motioning a cutting gesture across his neck, urging her to stop. Their relationship being as close as it was, Mic could read the man's signs not to push his irritation right now. Midnight frowned at him but closed her mouth, swiveling forward in her chair but keeping her eyes to the side where Eraser was like she wasn't going to forget this. For his part, Eraser did not regard them in the slightest as he carried on with his work.

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 _One week into the current school year…_

Actions had consequences. Not all of those consequences were logical. This Eraser Head had been reaffirmed of on the following Monday after the first day of school.

A stack of ten files greeted him on his desk first thing in the early morning hours of the silent and empty staff room well before anyone else would be there. Well, _usually_.

"Ah! Early as usual, Eraser Head. Bushy-tailed and bright-eyed no doubt, hoho!"

Eraser's eyed flicked up dully from the top-most file he had just lifted and to Nezu, who seemed to be smiling at his own word choice given the short fur on his tail and Eraser's eyes which looked half-asleep. He stood at the opened door to his principal's office primly holding a teacup on a small saucer. Eraser got the feeling that Nezu had been waiting for him based on the timing; not to mention the animal was never to the office before him.

"… Morning. What's going on, Nezu?"

"I just figured I'd pop in early to give you the great news." Nezu gestured towards the file Eraser held. "See for yourself."

Eraser's eyes flicked back down to the file in his hands. He slowly flipped it open and started to read. His brow furrowed. "These are student files… what is this?"

"Upon honoring your expulsion requests, your class was left with ten empty seats. Being as this is the very start of the school year, I saw it as the most opportune time to fill them back up as there would be virtually no disruption to the learning progress of the transferred students. Quite logical, no?" Nezu chimed cheerily.

Eraser frowned immediately at this surprise. "What…? Transferred students from where, exactly?"

"From U.A.'s entrance exams, of course!"

"… What?"

"The top thirty-six students from the entrance exams made up our original Classes 1-A and 1-B; plus four recommendation admissions. Vlad King has not expelled any of his, leaving just ten students from your class. Naturally, I contacted the families of the students who placed thirty-seventh through forty-sixth to fill in the rest of your class," Nezu explained matter-of-factly with his voice still light and carefree.

Eraser's frown deepened. In other words, students who had placed lower than the ones he had just expelled. The whole point of trimming them was to focus on the very best potential heroes in the top ten, not rotate in more of lower standing. "And you did this without telling me?"

"Yes, yes, you're a very busy person, after all, maintaining such a robust hero schedule outside of school hours. It's quite admirable of you! Logically, I didn't want to infringe on your valuable time with something that I could do myself. The ten students had found enrollment in other hero schools, but fortunately our reputation is such that they were eager for the opportunity to transfer into U.A. All of the paperwork and supplies have been taken care of and will be of no concern to you. Isn't it wonderful?" Nezu looked at him with an expectantly bright smile.

"…" Eraser looked down at the file in his hands, still frowning deeply. "… And they start when?"

"Today!" Nezu chimed.

Eraser's eyes narrowed at the page, displeased. " _Seriously?_ "

"Yes, yes, seriously. In fact, I should say that… you should take this very seriously." Nezu's tone, having been chipper and light-hearted, suddenly shifted to something cooler. It made Eraser look back at the principal.

Nezu was looking at him, still smiling, but it was a very different sort of look than the cheerful smile just before. The smile was smaller and controlled, and Nezu's head was shifted so that his beady black eyes looked him straight on. The impression Eraser Head got was a piercing look betraying something of the animal nature beneath Nezu's seemingly innocuous persona, and it triggered in him an instinctive sense of unease.

"It would be quite a shame if these transfer students were forced to switch schools yet again in a great hurry… it could certainly be said that it would be detrimental to their full potential. They should have a proper chance to take in this sudden change of their high school plans… I'd say, at least one full term. Wouldn't you agree, Eraser Head?"

Whatever Eraser might have usual said was stilled by his instinct, which considered Nezu's words carefully. When he opened his mouth after a long pause of silence, his tone was neutral.

"… Yes, sir."

The darkness slipped from Nezu's face like a passing shadow as he grinned and lifted his cup for a sip. "Mm-hm! As I thought, quite a reasonable person you are. Very well then." He drank and brought the cup down which clinked the saucer with finality. "I'll leave you be to get acquainted with your newest class additions. Teach them well… Plus Ultra."

And with that, Nezu turned and disappeared into his office, closing the door with a click behind him. Eraser stood still, his eyes still on the spot where Nezu had stood for several seconds before he looked down to the files again. The frown finally shifted into a full-on scowl as he gave a sigh.

He read between the principal's lines loud and clear; these ten were not to be expelled until after the first term ended, and not without good reason, either. It seemed the freedom to direct one's class at his choosing was not as great as advertised, or at least not without reproach. The consequences of not listening to Nezu were unclear, but the inhuman glint of the animal's eyes made him absolutely certain that it wasn't worth finding out.

Something of an oddity in this world, Nezu was a being that Eraser had at least passing knowledge of when it came to his dark past and certain pension for toying with humans, and his High Specs Quirk provided him with the genius intellect for all manner of creative outlets for his feelings. Whatever Eraser's consequences would be, they wouldn't be anything straightforward or logically predictable.

So, Eraser did the logical thing; he slumped down into his chair and flicked open the first file. He had a lot of reading to do before morning homeroom.

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 _About two months into the current school year…_

"How are your students doing?"

He thought about that for a while, mulling over how much effort that response was worth. Their performance at the sports festival just that spring had been rather...

 _Lackluster._

The word he had spoken to Hayate back then in the early days of their chats had summed it up, yet barely scratched the surface.

Only two students in Class 1-A had made it to the final tournament stage of the event; the best two students in his assessment, to be fair, but still just _two_. And even then, all of the top three placings of the festival had been from 1-B.

Vlad's competitive spirit had been inflated by the prospect of the nationally-televised event, and it set the enthusiasm of his own students alight. The long and colorful banner on Class B's stands and their spirited cheering were equally flamboyant and obnoxious. And yet, the class seemed spurred on and united in this demonstration of excessive zeal. Despite his lack of commitment to the contest, Eraser had given Vlad something to prove and he absolutely delivered.

And then the dreaded moment after the event that day came for Vlad to track Eraser down. Eraser gritted his teeth and said not a word, eyes fixated on his screen to keep from saying something short-tempered and illogical. Boisterous, gloating, and annoyingly pressing forward his points on another; Eraser shut Vlad out of his mind. He had his own student's shortcomings to worry about and no patience to listen to Vlad sing his students' praises.

When Vlad did finally leave Eraser be, seemingly put-off by the stony silence and blatant refusal of acknowledgement, a pair of eyes turned Eraser's way.

"It would do both of you some good if you two actually communicated."

Eraser didn't look at Midnight to his left with Mic's empty seat between them. "Thank you for your concern," he replied neutrally, typing without pause.

She frowned at him and shifted her chair to face him undeterred. "Vlad's over the top, but you playing the silent game isn't any better. I get that this is a lot different than working on your own, but cooperating with others comes with being a teacher."

"I'd have no problem talking with him if he did so logically. I'm not wasting my time on him."

"That's just dodging the issue."

"I don't recall asking for your advice."

"Come on, Aizawa. Don't be anti-social."

He stopped typing, saved the completed document, and hit the 'shut down' button on the computer screen. Then, he stood. "My work's finished. Later."

A displeased look on settled Midnight's face as she watched him push in his chair and walk away without another glance her way. _Really proving my point, Aizawa._

He didn't care. After the disappointment that was his class's performance at the sports festival and Vlad's inane gloating, having someone trying to convince him that talking with the source of so much illogical behavior was a good use of time was just too much irritation to take in one day. People were being so _annoying_.

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"Principal Nezu, I feel like you should say something to them." Midnight sat with her legs folded, a cup of tea held over her knees, and leaned forward a little with a serious look on her face aimed at the animal hero sitting on the couch across the table from her.

"Nah," the creature chirped cheerfully.

Surprise reflected in her eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"Nope! That's what I said. Hm, why, you wonder?" He lifted his own tea from the little saucer it sat on and took a sip as if to make an intentional anticipatory pause. "That's very simple you see. The answer is…" Nezu looked up with a carefree smile. "It's not my problem!"

An ' _are you serious'_ expression met his assessment. "That's not a solution at all!"

"It's not my problem to solve. The only ones who can do that, are those two themselves! That's the sort of problem this is." Nezu clicked the cup back to the saucer and settled back in his seat as he shifted into a more thoughtful demeanor.

"A clash of perspectives and personalities is what they've got. You can't make anyone get along against their will. Forcing the issue with my authority will most probably lead to a begrudging truce without resolving their core disagreements. And bringing it up as a mutual friend in this shared environment just makes it seem like picking sides, as I'm sure you've experienced. In any case, I'm not worried. The school year is young; they're still figuring each other out. But, if I were to place a bet…"

He brought a paw forward to rub his chin. "Hm, I suspect the end of the first term will be a crucial point. Second term will hold our answer for how things are going to be between them. If they haven't found a resolution naturally by then, I'll step in and expedite the plan... haha, hahaha, haHAHAHA!"

He ended with a cackle that nearly spilled his tea which made Midnight shrink back looking concerned and bit disturbed. The laughter died out suddenly as if Nezu hadn't meant to let it out, then he gave a polite cough and tapped his forehead with a clever and completely unconcerned grin. "Have no fear! It's barely an inconvenience for someone such as myself."

 _If it's that easy, why don't you just do it from the start? Do you like watching them suffer or something?_ "Uh… 'the plan' you said? So you are going to take care of it?"

"Of course! I've always got a plan," Nezu replied cheerily.

Midnight seemed relieved by that, Nezu's brief moment of madness aside. "That sounds alright, I suppose… though how do you figure all that, exactly?"

"Oh! Would you really like to know?" Nezu leaned forward eagerly for the tea thermos on the table. "Wonderful! Have some more tea. I'll tell you the details. You see, it all starts with probabilities—"

Midnight stiffened up, her eyes showing the exact moment she realized her mistake. "O-Oh, er, probabilities? How… interesting."

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

Eraser Head and Vlad King were incompatible, and not even in an opposite way. Eraser Head got along just fine with Present Mic despite the ocean of difference in their personalities, and could even call him his best friend. Because as pestering as the loudmouth could be, Mic knew when he had pushed too far and read the signs to back off. He was down for a good fight of course, but he wasn't bullheaded. Vlad King, _on the other hand…_

Stubborn. Competitive. Proud. Passionate. Dedicated. The sum of these individual traits was a man who grated on Eraser's sensibility. Vlad was seriously dedicated and caring towards his students. That made him proud of them and the methods he had employed to aid in their success to a fault. His passion for their growth was an enthusiasm that in Eraser's logical opinion made him lose sight of their faults and avoid the use of more callous but effective techniques, favoring more energetically haphazard methods resulting in wasted time and effort. But because Vlad was competitive, he had something to prove with his students. And because he was tenaciously, ridiculously, _bulldoggedly_ stubborn, he wouldn't back down from his passionate stances in an impulsive and illogical manner.

Eraser was for his part also stubborn. He absolutely refused to indulge an illogical stance, and it fueled Vlad's relatively short temper to no end that Eraser viewed him and his suggestions of a warmer teaching approach in an illogical light which he dismissed in an instant. The way Eraser treated his students was distant and cold in Vlad's disapproving eyes; completely unfit for growing the confidence of uncertain teens. The dreary man was dismissive, irritable, unengaged, and unforgiving in Vlad's opinion; all qualities he regarded with disdain.

Driven apart by a clashing of both personalities and ideology, the two of them did not see eye-to-eye at all. And none of this history was Hayate aware of, as we return to the present…

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 _Tuesday morning, final's week…_

"What are your students like?"

Aizawa glanced over at Hayate's question, finding her looking at him a little hesitantly, but hopeful.

"I know you don't really like me asking about your work… but I'm curious, if you don't mind."

He looked at her for a few seconds then back at the kitten on his chest. "… Not much I'd care to say. Half of them are falling short of my expectations. The other half is meeting them with the two I'd expect exceeding them."

"Oh… sounds like things are kind of tough. I imagine they'll be trying their best this week, though. Maybe between the training camp and their time to study this summer they'll improve."

"…" Optimistic in his opinion.

He seemed really unenthusiastic about continuing with this thread, so Hayate shifted it after thinking for a moment.

"I wonder what sort of student you were like in school." She smiled teasingly and leaned his way a little. "Let me guess… I bet you slept in class all the time."

"Depended on the lecture. Between classes—yes."

"And as for your school performance… hm, you have high standards for yourself, but I bet you found schoolwork to be tedious and pointless in the long-term. You did the minimal effort, I'd say. How's that?"

"Accurate."

"As for your easiest subject—that was probably the most logical one; math. And as for your worst—probably something abstract like art." She leaned a little closer with her teasing smile. "That about right?"

His eye shifted sidelong to her, lids heavy with disinterest. "There are point to your interview?"

"I'm curious," she replied simply, meeting his eyes with an earnest look.

His eyes didn't move from her for a long pause with her not looking away, then his gaze shifted back to the kitten. "… I'm not very different from back then. It's rather boring."

"That so?" She looked forward across the tracks and lifted her eyes in thought. "I wasn't very interesting either. Mostly just kept my head down. Biology was my favorite subject, no surprise there. I liked a lot of subjects, though. I enjoyed learning things, still do… The only one I never really liked was P.E."

A single 'hmph' of amusement sounded from his throat, and Hayate looked over at him sharply with interest.

"Did I say something funny?"

"That last part sounded like me."

Hayate put it together in a second and smiled. "Oh yeah—because it's the one class you can't fake sleeping in!" She laughed and even he cracked a ghost of a smile at the sound of it.

"… If you get creative, you can."

"Tell me about it."

He thought it was just a turn of phrase, so he didn't answer. But then the silence stretched out and he got the sense that she was watching him. He looked back over at her, and he found her watching him expectantly with a look of rapt attention in her eyes when his met hers. Oh. She was serious.

He felt a flicker of something like self-consciousness and looked away with an awkward clearing of his throat. "Uh, well… that was a long time ago, I'd have to think a minute."

"Go ahead." Her voice was patient.

"…" He reflected in silence for some time, dredging up a few lost-since-past moments from his school days while she waited. "… Hm." His lip pulled back in a smirk. "Well, I suppose if you want to start with a good one…"

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 _Thursday…_

Hayate seemed oddly inquisitive this week.

That was Aizawa's conclusion as he stepped off the train and parted ways with her again. She was asking a lot of questions. Some of them were superficial and trivial like favorite foods, but others were deeper, probing questions; the kind that got down to who someone was as a person.

Back and forth she'd go asking a question and getting an answer of his then offering hers in return. It was engaging conversation that stirred up a lot of reminiscent thoughts and made their time on the train seem to pass quickly. He didn't mind it. Actually… he liked it. However strangely-elevated her enthusiasm was, it gave him a small window of peace every morning before the stress of the school day began. And today that was… well…

 _Failure._

When the results of all the students' finals the previous days that week were compiled and found his desk, he squinted at the results humorlessly. Eight students had passed their written exams but failed the practical. Two had failed the written and passed the practical. The remaining ten had passed both.

Frankly, he was angry. It was an astounding failure to meet his lofty expectations. And of course, once _Vlad_ got wind of it…

"Looks like Class B wins again!"

Eraser made a conscious effort to keep his lip from curling back at Vlad's proud tone.

"How many times are we going to do this, Eraser? Talk all you want about your astronomical standards, but I get results with my way whether you like it or not. Your methodology is flawed. Just admit it already—you were wrong, let's get it over with and move on." Vlad fixed his eyes on Eraser and waited.

Midnight and Mic watched on from their seats beside him with baited breath, eyes pinned on Eraser. However crudely and bluntly put, it was still an olive branch of sorts that Vlad had willingly proposed; a way forward to end this increasingly antagonistic rivalry.

Eraser was no longer typing, though his eyes remained glued on the screen unfocused as he sat still as a statue. And then he made up his mind. His brow furrowed into a firm frown and he lifted his eyes to meet Vlad's with the anger of the day's results swirling in them.

"I'm not done yet." How presumptuous of Vlad to assume he was just going to quit there.

"Hmph!" Vlad turned away. "Your standards can come down out of the clouds anytime."

Eraser watched him go with quite the stink eye aimed at the back of his head. Bring his standards down? Hell no. That's not how he worked. The very suggestion was insulting to his logic. Eraser's eyes returned to his screen and he got back to work. He'd see them rise up to his standards; and if they couldn't rise, they had no place in his class.

Beside him, Midnight and Mic silently wept internally and shared a look. _They were so close…_

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

 _Friday morning…_

"How did your students do on their finals?"

An unpleasant tension rose up in Aizawa at the question's answer. His hands didn't stop petting Mic the kitten, but a little furrow creased his brow. "Terrible."

Hayate winced a little at his answer, not expecting one so negative. "Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."

"…"

"Was it their written exams? Or—hero schools have physical tests, too, right?"

"… Both. Two failed the written. Eight failed the practical. Out of twenty."

Hayate went quiet at that noticing the displeased look starting to slowly shift his features. This was a sore topic for him. She hesitated, torn between shying away from it and pressing onward. He'd been really responsive to their conversations this week. In her efforts to get to know him better with summer's fast-approaching change in schedule, she was feeling the pressure of having to connect deeper more quickly. Things had been going well this week with her having drawn out of him interesting memories and experiences, and some of his persona likes and dislikes; wherever the natural flow of the conversation took them. It made her feel emboldened to tread onto the topic of his work, which was something she usually shied from.

"… What are you going to do?"

Aizawa was quiet for a while as he considered her question and how to answer. He had several steps in mind and a few routes to consider yet, but his thoughts on the bottom ten that Nezu had forced on him were quite settled.

"Expel the ones not making the cut. The rest I'll push harder."

Hayate looked startled. " _Expel?_ Did they break some sort of rule, too?"

"No."

She paused as if waiting for him to elaborate, but when he didn't she pressed him. "So what, they just aren't meeting standards?"

"Yes."

" _Why_ would you do that? You said you're taking your class to training camp this summer, and there's summer makeup classes they could do. There are other options."

Aizawa's face shifted fully into a displeased frown. Like he hadn't heard enough protests to his methods lately, and now he had to hear it from her, too. He couldn't even walk away from it this time given he had to take the train. His tolerance was starting on a short string. "I'm not going to have time and resources be wasted on anyone who can't meet standards," he replied bluntly.

She frowned back at him. "And you can't bring them up to standard? You're a teacher, aren't you?"

"It isn't worth my time."

 _Not worth…?_ Was he suggesting those _students_ weren't worth trying for? Those children? Hayate felt her mind being a bit boggled. Such a callous comment jarred her perspective of him, which was 'tough love' but certainly not cruel without reason. Surely that couldn't have been what he really meant. She leaned in towards him a little and pressed harder, trying to figure it out.

"I don't understand that. I teach people who are legitimately clueless about veterinary medicine how to care for their pets regularly. They don't know the science, and a lot of them don't care. They just want their pets to get better. But even _they_ can learn how to give fluids, prepare meds, take glucose readings, or whatever.

Your students _want_ to know how to become Pro Heroes. That's why they're in a hero course, isn't it? There's no way you can tell me that they can't learn when it's their desire to do so."

"Wanting something and being able to achieve it are two different things."

She could agree with that point to an extent. But there were thousands of Pro Heroes on register from all walks of life in Japan alone with many different specialties. "Are you saying they aren't capable of becoming Pro Heroes? They made it into your school's hero course, didn't they?"

"Out of my control. The school's policies are illogical."

"And what, expelling them after they're in is your loophole method of getting your way?"

His eyes were getting narrowed with impatience. "It's not about me… There's nothing crueler than letting someone chase their half-baked dreams."

A sarcastic quip rose to her lips at that. "Oh, so you're just directing their future for them by stonewalling their aspirations. That makes it sound like it's exactly about you."

The string frayed down to its last thread. Aizawa's voice was harsh as his eyes flicked over to hers with a sharp look. "I won't be the one responsible for giving them the false confidence that gets them _killed_."

Hayate's snark died with that statement. Confronted by the hard look of his eyes, she hesitated. There was a weight of feelings to his words that carried unspoken experience, and she looked away from him silently backing down to think. It was an insightful statement confirming that he wasn't cruel. Underneath the cold exterior of his words and proposed actions, there was the detached kindness of a realist.

 _I don't know what you've been through._ She was sure he had seen things he'd rather never see again… people dying, just like he clearly sought to avoid it happening again by cutting it off as a possibility altogether with his students by accepting only the 'worthy' of his standards. But then another mode of thought fought back. _You know what, no._ They were friends now. If friends couldn't speak their honest thoughts to each other, then—well now, what kind of a friendship was that? Her expression steeled again and she looked back at him. He had looked away from her to focus on Mic the kitten again, clearly assuming they were done talking.

"… And what if you kicking them to the curb doesn't work and they go to a different hero program?" His eyes flicked back to her with a displeased look at her continuing on, but the determined frown on her face didn't budge.

"What if that teacher doesn't share your sentiment and standards? What then? Following your logic, they'd get that same false confidence elsewhere and be dead just the same. You aren't saving them. You're just the guy who failed them and passed them off like a problem to the next person."

The string snapped. Aizawa's eye sharpened with anger as he fix her with the unkind look. "You want my job or something, Hayate? You seem to have a lot of ideas better than mine."

It was snidely spoken with cutting sarcasm. And it hurt. Hayate clenched her teeth at the feeling. She had really made him angry; for the first time. He _meant_ for it to hurt. But that made _her_ angry, too. Angry blue rings didn't back down from his unblinking black glare for a long, tense moment as she gathered her swirling thoughts. _Careful_ , she thought; lest she say something regretful.

Her eyes flicked away from his to gather some calm, but her face didn't turn away from his. He kept his eyes pinned on hers unblinkingly waiting for their return. She looked back at him, the anger gone but still firm.

"… No. You're their teacher. And that's precisely why I think that… if your standards are so high for yourself, is expulsion really the best _you_ can do for them?" She saw his brow give a tiny twitch at her words, and she pressed on with her voice getting calmer and her frown easing a little. "Back at the TNR, when you caught all four kittens at the same time—I thought that was amazing. The level of skill and experience you have is something they don't, but they could get there with _you_ ; their _teacher_. But if you aren't giving them your all, then… don't blame them for failing when you haven't tried everything you can. Don't hold them to a standard as students that you aren't meeting as a teacher."

Aizawa didn't move a muscle as she finished and watched him, but there was a very subtle shift in his expression. His eyelids had lifted without his awareness as he absorbed her words. He remained motionless for a long pause, not even petting Mic, then looked forward with still quite a displeased look on his face to apparently brood. However, he did not offer further comment.

Hayate kept her eyes on him for a while, but nothing changed, and her own brow creased with concern as her eyes finally dropped away. A palatable tension filled the space between them now, and despite her earlier thoughts she started to feel a little regret for having spoken up again. This Friday could be the last day that she saw him for a while with it marking the beginning of summer, and they were ending it on an unpleasant note. It made the feelings that had been growing ache a little. But her stubborn streak scolded her.

She had spoken her mind, and he had lashed out in return with sarcasm and anger. _Well, I guess it's good to know someone's bad side before you commit to them._ Someone was being a Shit Head today, and this time it wasn't a cat. Is that really what she wanted in someone? The thought made the inquisitive, growing flame cool by a degree.

Beside her, Aizawa was silently seething. It seemed everyone had a mind to pick a fight with his methods and viewpoints, and not even this bench of brief daily peace was sacred. He attempted to push them aside in dismissal as he focused on Mic, but the frown didn't leave his face. Ignore it as much as he might try, he was still stewing even as the train came and he tucked the kitten away into the carrier.

His feelings were such that as they boarded the train, Aizawa didn't give a single thought to walking on by Hayate; all the way back to his former usual spot further down the train. Had he looked back at that moment, he would have seen a stricken look on her face at that choice which stung more than his snarky remarks.

She took her seat and looked down the way to him biting her lip, feeling quite torn and unhappy at this. It had been a mistake to push him on this topic; she regretted it now. And yet, a stubborn note persisted. No, it wasn't; she did nothing wrong by speaking her mind. It was his poor response that left a lot to be desired.

It still hurt to see him sitting down there, though. Was this what he always was like when he was angry? Passive aggression, snark, refusal to acknowledge? Or was it just the sore topic? She didn't know the history of the subject she'd pushed him on, and now she doubted her own words to him. Her feelings flickered uncertainly. She didn't really like this part of him…

Sleep evaded him even as he remained motionlessly hunched over with his eyes closed. Something about her words had resonated in him when they struck that chord of anger, and it kept ringing in his ears, blocking his nap.

" _Don't blame them for failing when you haven't tried everything you can. Don't hold them to a standard as students that you aren't meeting as a teacher."_

" _Don't hold them to a standard—that you aren't meeting as a teacher."_

" _A standard—that you aren't meeting."_

" _That. You. Aren't. Meeting."_

 _Why is she making me so_ _angry_ _—_

— _ **Because she's right.**_

The thought cut through his mind like a knife, jarring it to a stop.

She was right. That was the simple, logical truth. He hadn't tried everything he could yet to draw out their potential, and that was a practical argument with no basis in appeals to emotions or any other illogical thing. He could not refute that, and more than that, she called him out on it where he hadn't acknowledged it before. As students, their duty was to give it their all. And as a teacher, he should be taking that and giving it his. Expelling them instead of giving them his best… she was right. He wasn't even meeting his own lofty standards. For some reason, that made him even angrier. Why hadn't this occurred to him until now? Just what was it that caused him to make such an _illogical_ oversight?

It was a simple answer, and one that Aizawa was not alone in feeling. This was a thing that had plagued minds striving for logic since the beginning of the sciences and was a source of constant critique even in the modern era; _bias_. It was an inescapable aspect of human nature that had snuck into his mind without his notice. A blind spot that had started simply enough on Vlad's opinions, it had subtly grown to block out and reflexively dismiss everything related to that initial source of conflict with a label as illogical as its origin point.

" _You could have handled that better."_ Midnight had been right, but he'd blocked it because handling the illogical point he'd set was dismissed… an act illogical in and of itself.

A growing feeling of combined resentment, annoyance, and frustration had clouded his usually clear judgement by building gradually over months and being fed by repeated instances of things that started it in the first place. It ripened slowly into the knee-jerk reaction of silently ignoring the source and passive-aggressive snark.

And the thought of considering any points of the 'opposition' as anything but illogical had ceased to cross his mind, no matter what potential merit they might have held.

Being a solo Pro fighting tooth and nail night after night was worlds apart from the desk work and social effort of being a teacher; not to mention a teacher in their first year. Bridging the gap between those experiences was crucial.

With the problem of his bias identified, there was only one thing for Aizawa to do; banish it without hesitation. Logical order of his mind demanded it.

" _Teach them well… Plus Ultra."_ For some reason, his thoughts stirred up Nezu's words. Go beyond… your own ideology.

His eyes were closed and his outward appearance completely placid, but internally his mind was a whirlwind of activity. His freshly cleared mind was reviewing the current state of affairs and all he'd overlooked before. A plan was forming; those students were going to rise to his standards no matter how hard he had to push them.

It wasn't until his stop that his eyes opened, though they still fixed unfocusedly on the environment as his thoughts kept moving while he gathered his things. Aizawa started walking for the door on autopilot, not noticing Hayate's eyes on him.

"Aizawa-san…" He stopped walking, her voice pausing his thoughts. Oh, right. Almost didn't say goodbye. He blinked and looked up from the ground to where she sat. Her expression was a bit uncertain, but she met his eyes. "… I'm sorry. I got you all riled up right before work… and regardless of my opinion, what you do with your students is up to you."

His eyes widened a little at that, caught by surprise. Her eyes flicked down to her lap where her fingers fidgeted with a piece of paper. "Um, also, since summer break is starting, I'm not sure when I'll see you next so… here."

She held out the paper. He reached a hand out to take it a little curiously and read:

疾風 愛香 [Hayate Aika]

XXX-XXX-XXXX

 _Her number?_

"For if you have any questions, like to how get to the adoption event… and we should have some way to get in touch this summer if we're going to meet up for coffee." She looked over with a smile at the kitten carrier and gave it a pat. "... Or, you know, if you ever want a cute cat picture."

His expression softened a little. Of course, she'd be the one to apologize and attempt to resolve their conflict as if she'd started it. Sure, she'd pushed, but it was without knowing the history that brought about his sour reaction… and what she'd said had resonated with him. A simple sorry in return didn't feel substantial enough, like there was missing to it that he had to figure out, so he didn't say it.

"… Thanks. I'll see you around, Hayate-san."

"Yeah… see you."

He kept walking past her and was nearly to the door when another thought crossed his mind, and he stopped.

"And… your opinion is fine. Don't hold it back for the sake of my own."

She looked at him in surprise, but he didn't say anything more and continued on his way off the train and out of her sight. Her eyes lingered there for a few moments, though. Then she looked away with a faint smile coming to her lips. It wasn't an apology, exactly… perhaps an acknowledgement? Of respect for her viewpoint? It made her feel a little better at any rate, though in the back of her mind she fretted over that paper she'd handed him. She wasn't sure if any of her nudges or conversation had worked at all, but… it was in his hands now.

Off the train, Aizawa lifted the paper again to look at her number and name. She had neat handwriting. He took out his phone and added her to his contacts before the paper could get lost somewhere, but did nothing more with it. He'd text her later when it was relevant, but right now, his developing plan for the summer demanded his full attention.

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When Mic arrived at U.A. that morning, he was greeted by a most curious sight.

Eraser Head seemed to be possessed by a fervor of activity. There were student files in two stacks on his desk, multiple teacher guide books, and his fingers were a flurry on the keyboard. From the look of things, he hadn't even gotten around to his usual pre-class morning nap yet.

"Yo! Good morning! What's going on here?" He struck a pose leaning over Eraser.

"Morning. I'm busy." Eraser deflected him without pause.

Mic seemed frozen in pose for a moment then he slipped into his chair wordlessly. Okay. That was okay. Whatever his buddy was up to, he could get behind that unbreakable focus, yeah! He read Eraser's screen with a sidelong glance as he got his own computer started. Besides, peeking and guessing was more fun!

After a thorough skimming of the page, it was a rather intriguing finding. Seemingly, it was an individualized lesson plan. _Huh? Hold on… isn't that one of the kids he was going to expel?_ Weren't too many secrets around this office, especially not between two peas in a pod like them! That name was definitely on the list not meeting his expectations. Mic's eyes shifted over to his friend curiously. _Aizawa, are you… reconsidering?_

Eraser didn't answer of course. He couldn't read minds. However, he could pick up on Mic's completely unsubtle eavesdropping over his shoulder and it was really getting annoying. His eyes flicked over to Mic, Mic's unoccupied computer screen, then back again to his own screen as he saved the document and opened another one which he then hit 'print' for.

"Since you've clearly got enough time on your hands to stare at my screen, mind getting that at the printer?"

"Yeah, yeah! No problem, buddy!" Mic spun up out of his chair and strode back to the machines as the pages started spitting out. A pretty formidable stack started to gather as he plucked the first sheets out and started to read them. _Questionnaire-style, points-based, huh… going to hand these questions out?_ Twenty-people's-worth of pages piled out and the printer whirred to a stop. Mic scooped them all up and spun on his heel, a bounce in his step all the way back to his chair next to Eraser's. He set them down beside the books.

"Hmm… self-assessments, individualized lesson plans, these guide books—you're up to something for this summer, huh, Aizawa?"

"Obviously."

"Hah! Well man, just don't work all summer long, alright? Even workaholics like you need a break sometime."

"I'll sleep when I'm done."

Huh. Sounded like it was going to be a long, sleepless summer, then. The opposite of hibernation! Mic lifted a hand and patted him on the back affectionately.

"You wanna get a drink, anytime, just let me know!"

"… Thanks, Yamada." Eraser's fingers paused and his eyes shifted away from the screen with a grimace already forming on his face at the thought of this coming summer. "… Feel like I'm going to be taking you up that offer sooner rather than later."

"Well then, a couple drinks! All summer long!"

"Hmph." Eraser made an amused sound. "So you're going to make me an alcoholic by summer's end?"

"Hahaha! Your humor's always so dark! Nah, not me, man; those kids are! Hahahaha!"

"Heh…" Eraser's eyes returned to his screen, but there was a faint smile on his lips. "Whatever. I've got to get back to work."

This summer was going to be rough.

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 **-Kind of rushed some bits because I was drowning in the details, but this has got the gist of the plot.** Still a solid 9,500+ words excluding author notes, though. Not much of Hayate, because Aizawa's got a whole life outside of her to set up.

 **-I love writing about Aizawa's cool side, but everybody's got character flaws.** Aizawa's apathetic traits don't lend to him playing well with others.

 **-I like to think that Aizawa and Kan didn't get along at first.** Vlad's bio states he is caring to his students (in contrast to Aizawa's detached style), the Dabi clone riled up his temper easily during the summer camp attack, and in recent manga chapters he has shown a very passionate and proud nature for his class. So with these things in mind, I like to think about how their relationship evolved over time. We shall see where it goes from here…

 **-Going to rant for a minute.** Was looking back at early manga chapters while writing this chapter and found the following. Canonically, Aizawa has an inconceivably high number of expulsions listed on his teacher file in Chapter 5 of the manga; _154_ students! Think about it; since he only has 20 students in his class per year, that's equivalent to expelling all 20 for _eight years_ straight! Assuming that Vigilantes correctly lines up with MHA, Aizawa couldn't have been teaching for more than ~5 years (because All Might is shown already injured in early Vigilantes which happened 6 years prior to MHA, and Aizawa isn't a teacher yet in Vigilantes as of that time). Which means that Aizawa was expelling all 20, getting more cycled in, then expelling a great number of those until he got the 'perfect' class in all ~5 years of him teaching.

Just think about how much utter _chaos_ that would cause the school with 154 sets of parents calling for this guy's head, bad press getting wind of that, not to mention the paperwork and logistics of expelling and transferring students, as well as how bad it would make the school look to prioritize one man's opinions over the learning opportunities and futures of so many students! And then looking at the current 1-A class—how the hell does someone with questionable morals like Mineta, an inflated ego and aggressive tendencies like Bakugo, and an idiot like Denki make the 'perfect' cut?

Personally, I think that 154 was a number just slapped on there to make it clear he's a hard ass, but in my opinion that makes his actions _highly_ _illogical_ , which is contrary to his character. People have to start somewhere, and teenagers don't just come flying out of the gate perfect! Based on Aizawa's Quirk and relationship with Shinso, we can already infer that Aizawa himself really had to work his ass off to get to be the Pro he is today, and he certainly made mistakes along the way that he had to grow from. Him doing something so ridiculous is not a logical, in-character thing for him to do. So in light of the above rant, in this somewhat AU MHA universe, I'm changing that B.S. number with the power of character development.


	12. The Dog (and Cat) Days of Summer

No, Sophie, my dear guest reader, this story is _NOT_ dead! Sort of just hit a rough patch in the road, a bit like my life – details at the bottom. Enjoy this long overdue update.

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 _Friday, last day of term, morning homeroom…_

Aizawa slid the door to the classroom open. "Morning."

"Good morning!" Twenty teens chorused sitting at attention in their seats. Not a single one of them ever dared be caught slumping when he walked in.

He closed the door behind himself and stepped forward into the classroom. The students noticed the large stack of stapled paper sheets and clipboard he carried under his arm as something atypical for their morning session. He walked in front of the desk and set the stack and the clipboard—with some attached notepapers and a pen—on the desk. Then he turned around to face them, crossing his arms and leaning back on the desk in a slouch with his eyes peering out at them from beneath his shaggy bangs. Their eyes hesitated to meet his as he said nothing for a few seconds, just scanning the room without giving anything away in unsettling silence. His eyes locked onto a student in the front row.

A name was spoken. The student whom his eyes had fallen upon tensed and promptly made eye contact with him. "Yes sensei?"

Aizawa ignored him. His eyes flicked calculatedly to another student. A second name was spoken. This student met his eyes quickly, but hesitated to respond. Aizawa's eyes flicked to a third student. And so it went on around the room. All eyes started shifting uneasily as they picked up the pattern amongst themselves of just which names were being listed. Ten names in total were listed, and then Aizawa paused to take in the thick silence of dread having over them.

"You ten are expelled."

Their expressions revealed that their suspicions were confirmed as the ten who had failed final tests flinched while the others looked at them with unease and sympathy. The room was dead silent. Nobody moved. And then Aizawa shifted back a little and eased up a bit as he unfolded his arms and slipped his hands into his pockets. "… Well. That's what I _was_ going to say."

All eyes stared at him uncomprehendingly. His eyes flicked impassively over them all again. "Let's get something straight from the start… I don't expel anyone to be cruel. You might not understand it, but it is its own brand of kindness. My job isn't to be your friend. My job is to make sure that when you become a Pro Hero, you have every skill you need so that you won't end up dead; you and the people it'll be your job to save. And I'll be damned if I let anyone pass who can't handle the harsh reality of the unfairness Pro Heroes must correct… This is a matter of life and death. Think all you like that you've got time before it comes to that, but these years are going to pass you by before you've even noticed. The work you put in now is going to be what gives you the strength to save yourself and others later. Don't waste your own precious time."

Aizawa gave them time to process that as he surveyed the class again. Faces were looking confused, uncertain, but receptive to… this. Whatever it was, 'this' sudden outpouring of words from their usually brief sensei… and the sense of urgency and seriousness in his tone didn't escape them, either. 'This' was different than the usual homeroom session. He continued.

"The ten of you I just listed consistently failed to meet my expectations this term. Normally, that would be end of it for you, however… I've decided to give something a try." Surprise and hope and against hope on their faces met his watchful eyes this time.

"As I said, my job is to make sure you are properly trained. That's something that I haven't done well enough. As a teacher, I haven't used every method at my disposal to draw out your potential and evaluate you properly on that result. Expelling you based on half-baked potential, and not examining it further… I haven't held myself to the same standards as you." His eyes flicked to the side. "… That's something I screwed up." He was silent for a long moment, bringing his right hand up to rub his neck. "… _So._ " His eyes flicked forward again. "I'm fixing that now." Without looking away from the class, his right hand dropped away to grasp the clipboard behind him and slide it forward off the desk. He held it and flicked the pen up in his hand. _Flick, flick, flick…_

"Starting tomorrow, there are 35 available days to work with until the start of second term. I'm going to dedicate every one of them to drawing out your full potential; each of you as an individual. Showing up for this training is completely voluntary; it's up to you to meet me halfway. For those of you whose names I listed, this is your final chance to prove your place here, or I will expel you for real at the start of second term." The pen stopped, and he brought it down to the notepaper. "Now then, let's get started. Every grievance you have, any doubts, comments… I don't care. Spill it."

The class seemed stunned more than anything. Was he really serious…? His unrelenting, level gaze didn't waver. Their eyes shifted about as they thought. Where to start—

"It feels like I didn't earn the right to be here."

Aizawa's eyes flicked to the student who had spoken; the very first student he had called out. He looked back just as firmly at Aizawa with a complicated mix of emotions.

"We're just here because someone else got kicked out and we were the first place losers whose names were at the top of the list. And if the ones who passed for real weren't good enough to make the cut, then what are we even doing here?" The class carried the dead silence of approval for a statement none of them could voice.

Aizawa's eyes focused in on him for a second, then he wrote his notes. Being used to fill up the empty seats in Class A had elevated their self-doubts and lowered their self-confidence… Nezu's unexpected interference had made the expulsion backfire tremendously. Or perhaps it was the animal's plan for something like this. Aizawa pushed his personal musing aside and lifted his eyes to the class end, his note concluded.

"Keep talking. We're going to address every weakness this class has."

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Homeroom concluded. That first statement had opened the floodgates from the whole class, and soon enough Aizawa's notepaper was filled up even in the brief minutes of homeroom. The packets he had prepared for them were passed back as his final act before leaving the room.

"These are self-assessments you're all going to fill out for me if you intend to participate. Go into as much detail as you can about your strengths, weaknesses, insecurities, goals, and so on. This is the place to be thorough and honest. I expect them back on the first day you show up for training, if you decide to show up at all. Every day I am available, I will be on school grounds from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. When and if you show up is at your discretion. Water will be provided, but food provisions are up to you."

He closed the door behind him and paused, drawing his conclusions of the students. They seemed eager by the look in their eyes; especially the ten on the cutting board. He started down the hall in a stooped posture looking at the ground. The choice to succeed was in their own hands, now… he'd merely fully-equip them to that end.

"YO! How'd it go?"

He lifted his eyes to Yamada coming down the hall for English class first period.

"… Hmph." He passed him by. "We'll see."

Summer had only just begun.

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 _Summer break, Day 1 of training…_

Well… he'd be a liar if he said he wasn't surprised all twenty of his students showed up. Aizawa anticipated at least a few of them taking the very first day of their summer break off. Instead, twenty paper packets were handed to him at 8 a.m. sharp by a group of slightly anxious but prepared-looking teens in their gym clothes. Good. He got right to it.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky on this fine summer morning with the heat already rising enough to rouse cicadas to sing. The laborious breathing of twenty teens on their umpteenth lap around the school field praying for a swift death joined the insects. _So hot out!_

Aizawa sat cross-legged at the head of the field surrounded by papers reading the packs that the students had returned to him, taking notes on planning papers he had prepared for each of them, and occasionally lifted his eyes to check on the students. He ignored the sweat that clung to the hair on his forehead and nape, slowly trickling down them both, and the oppressive rays of the sun pelting his black clothing and hair as if they were not even the slightest inconvenience. His whole focus on these twenty.

Conditioning was the first phase. There was a sore lacking of opportunity for it in the hours on end spent sitting in a classroom every day. While Aizawa was able to balance this out for himself with nightly physical exertion against criminals on patrols, for the students, their long classroom hours were followed by hours at home behind a desk doing homework or otherwise relaxing aside from the ambitiously athletic individuals. What physical classes they did have had every precious minute allocated to teaching higher-priority skills. With only about a month to work with, bringing their physical baselines up to snuff had to start first thing. And not just for their physical bodies: for their Quirks, as well. For those who had Quirks that were applicable to physical activities such as the standard apprehension tests, the order was to use them as long as possible in each exercise. It was essential for a Pro to be able to perform for as long as necessary during times of emergency. This was a conditioning of both their bodies' and Quirks' endurance.

Once the sun climbed high overhead with the temperature soaring alongside it, he had them take a few minutes break to get water from the U.A. cooler provided (reusable water bottles numbered one through twenty matching student seat numbers) before moving them all indoors to U.A.'s elaborate gym facilities. A variety of exercises were necessary to build strength, speed, and stamina collectively. Taking turns with partners, time between sets, and feedback periods provided plenty of time for them all to catch their breath to keep them going the whole day. An hour was taken for lunch and a lengthy session of academic hero studies followed. The two students who had failed their written were allocated time to work on their failing areas individually.

One at a time and continuing over the next several days, he would also take a student aside to go over the packet they handed in to discuss it in private with a thorough conversation. Whatever it was they wanted to do with their hero careers, addressing their goals, obstacles, and limitations in physical, mental, and emotional capacities would be crucial. To the students, this was both an intimidating but somehow entrusting experience to have their teacher listen to them with his deadpan expression and bluntly discuss matters with his disinclined monotone, which was at least nonjudgmental though not endearing.

To Aizawa, this was the logical solution he arrived at after evaluating a certain piece of Hayate's criticism; expelling these students did not ensure they wouldn't become a Pro elsewhere. He'd still expel them without question if they didn't meet his standard, but if they insisted on continuing at a different school, then fine, no one could say he had left them stranded after handing them this plan that they could still use.

The final hours of the day had one more surge of high-intensity training followed by lighter exercises and concluded with plenty of stretching for flexibility and review in a group around Aizawa. Most exercises they did had their performance documented on sheets. This would be crucial for evaluating them over time. He took these back from them and gave them more sheets to take home for instructions on diet and sleep to bring out the best in these physical trials. All of them looked exhausted, even the physically active ones pushed to their limits, but they listened to his parting words attentively with sweaty, determined focus. They _chose_ to be here for this.

5 p.m. marked the end of their session, and Aizawa gathered the evaluations, notes, and returned packets in his arms and walked away ahead of the dragged feet of the trudging pack of teenagers. They'd done well, he thought. It was a promising start. The question now was if they were going to keep showing up. Attendance was going to be crucial. Every day was going to be different, giving their bodies no time to acclimate and forcing them to adapt to strains on a daily basis while still being conscientious of recovery times and exercise intensities. Missing out on the full daily experience would hinder their maximum growth.

Well, it wasn't a concern for tonight, though. He took his things with him on the train sitting half-tucked into his sleeping bag as he continued to work, reviewing and planning for each student. His paperwork went with him on patrol that night, occupying every moment not spent on physical action on metal action instead. He got home at 5 minutes to midnight, set his papers heavily on the table, then set about going to bed immediately after the briefest of showers. He squeezed out every possible second of sleep, waking at 6:40 a.m. in the morning in order to take the 7:05 train to be ready on U.A. campus promptly at 8 a.m.; after sleeping on the train, of course. Teach, patrol, sleep, repeat. It was going to be a brutal routine… but no less brutal than his students'.

34 days to go…

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 _Elsewhere on this hot summer weekend..._

Hayate let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from her brow as she paused to survey the area. She stood on a riverbank with lush forest to her back and a river before her. The riverbed was several meters wide, though the water itself had retreated to half of that with the season. There were large boulders scattered about the waterway, some of them many times her size, and they divided the river in several places and stirred up some rapids just downstream with the other rocks and terrain. The sky was completely bare of clouds or breeze with heat and the sounds of birds, insects, and moving water filling the air instead. She observed this for a few moments then walked forward off the beaten trail and down to the dry, rocky riverbed through tall grasses.

Reaching the river, she crouched beside it and cupped water in her hands and splashed off the sweat from her face then did the same to her neck. Her hands went next to the thick white headband she had covering her hair, done up in a bun, and took it off to soak it in the water. She put it back on her head without drying it out, letting the water soak into her hair and trickle down her nape with cool satisfaction. Her hands returned to the water and stayed trailing there for a while, getting some relief from the oppressive sun as she closed her eyes and just stayed there a while, her expression relaxed and content with the surroundings.

She had certainly picked one heck of a sweltering weekend to go out for a hike. Somewhere she'd read that this summer was aiming to be the hottest in the last ten years, and she didn't doubt it based on today. But heat was not enough of a deterrence to keep her from making the trip to Mount Mitake. Though still a lengthy train ride from home, it was one of the closest real hiking and countryside deals around. On her back was a light pack with enough supplies for overnight. Staying in someplace nearby was an option, but keeping on the cheap and outside in such favorable weather and scenery was by far a win for her. Hayate had a plan to take her time with this trip in the outdoors to push all thoughts of work and city aside.

And with that though in mind, she opened her eyes again. She looked at the swirling water for another moment then stood up, flicking water from her hands. Turning away from the river, she went back up the riverbank and onward down the trail.

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The sun set, the air cooled, and Hayate made camp; a very simple arrangement for the ultralight camping enthusiast. She had a packed dinner premade at home, and for sleeping she tucked into a light summer sleeping bag under the stars. A summer bivy bag with a tarp base and see-through mesh sides all-around addressed any moisture on the ground and the abundance of summer insects that had already been trying to fly into her face all evening. At the moment, though, the zipper was opened around her face as she looked up at the sky.

Constellations weren't particularly her thing (on paper she was rather baffled by the mighty names given to stick-figure-like characters), but casting a roaming eye across the galaxy for nameable landmarks was a familiar nightly past-time of darn-near every camper. The Big Dipper was an easy find along with its smaller cousin, and the North Star not far behind them. In this summer period, Orion the Hunter and Sirius the Dog Star were prominent finds. Her calm and quietly drifting mind pondered a random thought: _where are all the cats?_

There was Leo, of course, though freshly out of season, but what else? It was an entertaining-enough thought for her to pull out her phone to find the answer; a portable charger was among her essentials, though phone-use limited in these nature treks. Her eyes scanned the screen on its lowest brightness setting.

There were three feline constellations of the night sky; Leo, Leo Minor, and Lynx. Though in the past, the skies had been occupied with a fourth.

 _In the 18_ _th_ _century, some star atlases depicted a cat: Felis, the creation of the Frenchman Joseph Jerome Le Francais de Lalande (1732-1807). He explained his choice: "I am very fond of cats. I will let this figure scratch on the chart. The starry sky has worried me quite enough in my life, so that now I can have my joke with it."_

She smiled at that. _Seems like an interesting guy._ The face of another interesting man very fond of felines crossed her mind's eye, and Hayate's smile slowly receded as she focused on him. The thought of him hadn't crossed her mind at all this weekend before now with her enjoyment in the trip. She lowered the phone to her stomach and looked at the sky. _I wonder if he's sleeping right now, or if he's on patrol…_ Her lip pulled back a little to one side. _Well, knowing him and that sleeping bag, it's probably a bit of both… Heheh, we're both in sleeping bags tonight._

Such a stupid little silly thing to be smiling about, but so she was, regardless. She searched the sky for a while until her eyelids began to fall, lulled by the rhythmic song of bell crickets and the faint rustling of the forest. And then a mosquito brushed her nose and she nearly jerked her whole arm across her face out of reflex. A bleary-eyed scowl was aimed at the darkness for the unseen offender, then she took off her glasses putting them in their case and zipped up the mesh bag completely. She closed her eyes again and started to relax…

A bug brushed her cheek again and she jerked. _Goddammit._ Locked the little bloodsucker in. Should have known better. She sighed and unzipped the bag to adjust and grab a can of bug spray in arm's reach. She consoled herself with the knowledge that whatever Aizawa was doing now, it was probably harder than fighting a mosquito.

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 _Summer training, Day 8…_

One miserable week of conditioning later, twenty teenagers a bit mentally and physically tougher followed their sensei as he led them to a new spot on U.A.'s campus. With the soreness in their bodies starting to ease as they adapted to this level of physical activity, it was time to enter phase two.

"Huh? Cementoss-sensei?"

The students recognized their modern literature teacher as soon as Aizawa led them into the large and completely concrete gymnasium, though were a little caught-off guard by the blocky hero wearing casual sandals, shorts, and a patterned button-down shirt instead of his hero costume.

"Hello," Cementoss gave a pleasant greeting and waved, offering a smile and an explanation, "Eraser Head asked me to help with your training program."

The students' faces lit up. Someone other than their taskmaster of a sensei? _We're going to get a break!_

Cementoss turned to the room and crouched down to set his hands on the concrete. His Quirk made the ground roll and shift out all across the gym giving life to numerous terrain features. The students watched in amazement, Aizawa without expression, and Cementoss kept his eyes closed in focus. "Hmmm… this is a tricky order you've made Eraser; even for the Training Dining Land."

"Yeah… Thanks for stopping by."

The students' glee at their teaching prospect froze. "Wait… 'stopping by'?"

"Oh yes," he chuckled. "I'm headed to the beach this weekend. Getting on the train as soon I set up the gym." He cracked his eyes open to glance over at Aizawa. "Eraser called me up just in time."

Aizawa looked vaguely apologetic. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Nonsense! It's only a few minutes of my time."

"So… you're not staying to train us, Cementoss-sensei?"

"Nope." The green glow around his hands subsided and Cementoss stood up rubbing his hands together and surveying his handiwork in satisfaction. "You've got your homeroom sensei for that."

Twenty teenagers went pale and their eyes shifted slowly to giving the room a really good look. The concrete hero might as well have remade every torturous feature a mountain had to offer and more from nature; peaks with perilous inclines, hills with uneven and jagged footing, a concrete pebble landslide, a high-walled area that made an irregular canyon, towers of concrete in various heights and thickness, rock walls, and long tunnels forming dark and irregular caves through the concrete were amongst the features that stood out. Also noticeable was that there was a traceable flow throughout each obstacle; as if they were intended to be ran as a course. It might have been Cementoss' creation, but it was definitely their Eraser Head's design. Any hope they had for a break plummeted into oblivion.

Their lack of enthusiasm wasn't lost on Cementoss who went from looking rather proud of his work to concern as his gaze shifted to the stone-silent students. "What's wrong? You look pale."

Aizawa's eyes flicked to them and put it together. "Ah. You thought he was going to take over today." The thought tickled him just right in a darkly humorous way, and Aizawa's mouth split into a giant Cheshire grin. "You think the _concrete_ hero is the soft teacher in this room?" The students cringed and tried to back pedal with some sputtered protests.

Cementoss gave a good laugh at that. "Ahhh, you kids are funny." He looked at Aizawa. "Later."

"Enjoy your summer," Aizawa replied in a surprising moment of cordiality, still sporting his toothy grin.

The irony of that statement wasn't lost on the teens, who fixed him and his grin with a flat look. _What? Unlike us?_

Aizawa got over his humor and returned his attention to the room. "Alright, now that your bodies are starting to get a feel for this, we're going to change things. Last week's exercises were rather formulaic. This week, you're going to push your bodies and your Quirks over a variety of terrains. You're going to run this course now with times being recorded. Get moving."

The students quickly scrambled to the starting line while a small timing robot which had previously gone unnoticed wheeled forward from the edge of the room.

"Ready… Set… Go!" Twenty students set off at the high tone of the robotic voice.

What followed was exactly what Aizawa expected to happen. High-utility Quirks immediately shot to the front of the pack, followed by situational-value Quirks, and Quirks that were not useful brought up the rear. By the time the twentieth student crossed the finish line wheezing, the front of the pack was already looking comfortable and ready to go again as they watched the rest. Predictable.

"Alright," Aizawa garnered their attention and they gathered up. "It should be obvious how much your Quirks differ in value when it comes to the environment. Simply another unfair reality Pros have to deal with. However, that doesn't mean accepting it. You're going to have to work with others whose Quirks don't let them keep up with your own. Sure, those of you who are faster could just leave them behind to catch up on their own time, and those of you who are slower could just accept that, but there are some situations where you are going to have to move together as a unit regardless of your Quirk's capabilities, and the more cohesive your movements, the more efficient you'll be. That's what you're all going to have to figure out today."

He looked at a few certain standout students. "For some of you, that will mean slowing down and figuring out how to make your Quirk of service to others around you. This is applicable to both your fellow heroes and the people you will rescue."

His eyes shifted to the rear of the pack, still panting from finishing last. "And for others of you…" His hand shifted up to his Capturing Weapon as he pulled a few coils up in demonstration. "That's going to mean figuring out how to pick up the pace and increasing your mobility, either through equipment or by observing how the skills of others can aid you and requesting it of them."

He dropped the coils and his hands returned to his pockets. "So: you're going to run this course again, right before lunch. Until then, get creative. Figure out how to get through it as best as you can. However, regardless of your methods…" A dark smirk crossed his lips. "Your collective goal is the class-wide completion of this course in twenty minutes." Twenty teens balked.

"Wait, _class-wide_ —?"

" _All_ of us have to do it in twenty?!"

"Did I stutter?" Aizawa demanded tonelessly.

The students went silent, then more meekly replied, "… No, sensei."

"Didn't think so." He cast his eyes to the hell's mountain course. "Well, get to it."

The students turned their eyes back to the course and reluctantly started over, though one student did hesitate and look back. "Um, sensei… what happens if we don't make it in twenty minutes?" The other students stopped and looked back as well.

Aizawa considered the student coolly. "Are you already planning on failing?"

The student stuttered hastily. "N-No, uh, I just mean… I just wanted to know."

His lips spread darkly. "Here's a better idea: focus on _not_ finding out."

All the students gave a little shudder at that and hastily scampered onto the course. One hundred percent agreed with that idea.

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"Ready… Set… Go!"

A familiar scene; twenty students set off at the high tone of a robotic voice. This time, though, there was a focused, nervous energy uniting them all. They all took off running falling into distinctive groups and patterns, following a plan as they approached the first obstacle and Aizawa looked on with an intently bland gaze.

It had been satisfying to watch them work together during the planning phase of this second run. Despite his warning tone, the completion time wasn't the important part here. This was an exercise in working with their peers, problem-solving, achieving a goal within time restraints, expanding the creativity of their Quirks, and examining the perspective of someone in a less powerful position.

How would a Pro get a civilian through difficult terrain? How would a team of Pros with different abilities cooperate for a common goal? And for the individual students themselves, how would the less-able shirk the feeling of being dead-weight for the more-able, and how would the more-able extend their hands to the less-able? These were some of the questions to answer with today's training.

Things seemed to be going very well as the class reached the final obstacle. The most-able of the students weren't completing the course nearly as quickly before, instead staying with the group in order to make use of combo moves to aid other classmates. Some carried or threw others, some paved an easier path, a few seemed to have found a particular synergy with a classmate and the pair stuck together for most of the obstacles. But as the first of them started to cross the finish line, all of them stayed close by urging the others on until the final student made it at a full sprint through gasping breaths. The timing robot called out.

"Thirty-four minutes, three seconds!"

Distraught groans rang out as a few of the students despaired loudly. "Ahhhhhhh! We didn't make it!"

"Seriously?!"

"We were nowhere close to twenty minutes!"

"What do we do now?!"

Eyes turned uneasily with dread to their sensei. What was _**he**_ going to make them do now?

Aizawa scratched the stubble of his chin, looking disinterested. "… I was kidding about the punishment."

The students stared blankly. "… Huh?"

"Realistically, this course cannot be completed in twenty minutes except by the top percentile of individual students. Double that is the reasonable goal for a group of twenty." His face suddenly split into a toothy grin. "Telling you all twenty minutes was a logical ruse to draw out your potential."

The cheated indignation of twenty teenagers met his explanation. "Whaaat?!"

"That's a mean trick, sensei!"

"So we really did pass?"

"Yeah, by six minutes!"

"I kind of feel bad though… feels like we could have done better."

"Yeah, I messed up that one jump."

"I slid right down the hill on that gravel!"

"Hey sensei! Can we run it again?"

"Hm?" He looked blankly at the student who had made the sudden request.

The eyes of other students lit up as well.

"Yeah!"

"Let's go again!"

"I feel like we could have shaved another minute off that, easy!"

"For sure!"

"Can we, sensei?" Twenty pairs of eyes set on him eagerly.

Aizawa looked genuinely baffled, a hand going to the back of his neck as he thought about it. That was a really unexpected response on their part. It wasn't part of the day's plan, but it didn't violate the plan, either. "Uh… Sure, I guess." Still half an hour more until lunch; if they really wanted to.

"Let's do this!" Despite their gasping breaths of just moments before, they seemed pretty darn lively as they got psyched up to go again, talking over amongst themselves improvements for round two. Aizawa observed impassively, though internally he was pleasantly surprised by this… their enthusiasm for his grueling training was exceeding his expectations.

He allowed himself a faint smile as the robot called out and they started running once more.

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Twenty-eight minutes, twenty-nine seconds was their final time. The students seemed gleeful if not absolutely wiped-out of energy this time around, and Aizawa silently admitted a tiny bit of satisfaction to himself. That was closer to the twenty minute mark than he had expected them to make. Possibly… their potential wasn't zero.

Lunch was a welcome hour's reprieve to restore their energy followed by more academic lessons, conditioning, stretching, and review to round out the rest of the day. Twenty teenagers parted ways waving and chatting while Aizawa stalked off as the lone shadow that he was as soon as 5 p.m. rolled around to carry on with his schedule.

The rest of that week wouldn't be any different for him or for them. Each day would come with a different environment in a different training ground. The scenario remained the same or similar, though this was by design. Repetition was the foundation to mastery; taking the skills and techniques they learned on day one and applying or tweaking them to fit the environment and scenarios of day two, and so on through the week with the training ground increasing in difficulty, length, and complexity. Through logical, focused practice, they would learn the skill of adaptation until the creativity needed to survive as a Pro became reflexive.

27 days to go…

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 _Elsewhere, Sunday evening…_

Hayate sat in a room with twelve other people in chairs lining the walls. Collectively, ten members of this group were colleagues of Akasaka Veterinary Hospital; the two remaining stood at the head of the room. They were in an old concrete building which had been refurbished to a modern though modest standard. This was the lowest floor, all of it dedicated to one purpose with a long hallway down one side lined with doors to several rooms, and standard necessities like bathrooms and meeting rooms such as this on the other side. And that purpose was…

"Rules of escape the room," one of the two men standing at the head of the group began. "No cellphones… don't show up intoxicated… if you have to rip it off the wall, I promise it's not a clue." The two guides ran through the rules in a light-hearted manner earning a few chuckles along the way, and with no further questions from the group they were whisked down the hall and into a room.

The door closed behind them loudly, and suddenly they were trapped twenty thousand leagues under the sea! "Your one hour starts now."

Ten bodies scattered in all directions. Hayate scanned the room as she moved, heading for shelves with boxes on them first. Boxes, shelves, cupboards, tables with papers, lights, pipes, keys, painted tiles… there were a lot of things going on, and surely many things hidden. Her first inclination was to get her bearings by making a pass over the whole room; uncover all the hidden clues to help everybody out and either get them out in the open for others to start putting together or loosely group them on tables by type if she could do so on the fly.

Once she had done so, it was clear which puzzles played to her strengths and which didn't. She looked at what everyone else was settling into and moved accordingly between groups.

"What's this one need?"

"Which key do you need?"

"There's a tile over here!"

A steady stream of communication ebbed and flowed around the room between everyone, points of interests and ideas announced to all and rapid conversations taking place between partners. Hayate took a clipboard and pencil from the table to quickly hash out potential links between puzzles and things to look out for and who needed what as she jumped between groups and checked in with them all. Hearts were pounding and ideas flying all around the room, but adrenaline wouldn't usurp organization. Points missed in the barrage of cross-talk would cause confusion, and that would slow them down; time was the most important thing here!

One of the laminated clue cards caught her eye; marked with a unique symbol and listing periodic elements. She looked over to the framed poster of the periodic table on a wall, and saw no one had decided to tackle this puzzle yet; probably deterred by the presumed challenge of it. Her eyes flicked around for a particular member of their group.

"Murano-san," she called out his name as she spotted him. While not a vet—that was his wife—officially speaking he was her boss as the co-owner of Akasaka. But personally, he was mild-mannered and reserved, definitely an underutilized follower in his current group which rapidly-fired ideas back and forth while he stood at the back just observing and listening; perhaps out of his element with his introspective nature. She knew he also happened to have a master's in biotech with a major in chemistry. He turned and looked at her call, then started over at her beckoning.

"No one's working on this puzzle yet. It's periodic elements." She showed him the card. He seemed to perk up a little immediately as he took the card and scanned it. "Sulphur, hydrogen, argon, potassium… is it the atomic numbers, maybe? Sixteen, one, eighteen, nineteen? For a lock combination?"

"One, six, one, one, eight, one, nine?" She scanned her page. "None of the locks we've seen have seven digits… Let's just write it out…" Hayate took a page and quickly scratched out a graph. "Maybe it links to something else, there's a coordinate puzzle over on that table, or maybe another puzzle, or it could be atomic numbers, atomic symbols—"

"S, H, Ar, K…" Murano listed the elements' symbols aloud, then stopped. They both looked at each other as it clicked, eyes lighting up.

"Shark." Hayate immediately looked to a table and pointed. "They've got the fish cards, 'shark' is one of them. Okay, I'll go get it—oh, there's two more of these cards elements here on this table, have you got this, Murano-san?"

"Yeah." He was already heading over to the table with the other element cards, and Hayate looked away with satisfaction.

"Thirty minutes."

The clock kept ticking and the puzzles kept moving along. Hayate couldn't claim to have taken the lead on any of the puzzles, but she had a hand in all of them looking out for missing pieces of information, connections between puzzles, adding a fresh perspective when one puzzle's progress was slowing down, and keeping the communication flowing smoothly by keeping tabs on every group.

"Ten minutes."

Things were slowing down; some connections were just tougher than others to make. A knickknack here, a box over there with a key that just couldn't be found… and what the heck was this tape measure for?!

"Five minutes." Red warning lights overhead started to flash, and a few panicked, laughing cries rang out at that.

"Okay, where are we all at?" Hayate spoke loudly, urging them to gather. Regroup! Regroup! "Coordinates is done, periodic elements is done—the math one, you're still working on that? All we've got left are these two, let's focus…"

The final piece of the final puzzle slid into place. The submarine's broken control panel was fully unveiled and within it, a final key. For a moment everyone looked confused, then the receptionist, Asano, had a moment of clarity. "The black box." She took the key and walked purposefully to the front of the room; they'd all but forgotten about this seemingly unsolvable and unassuming box in the edge of the room. The key went in and opened, revealing—

 _An entire final puzzle._

"Three minutes."

Several members of the group groaned. Whelp, this was it.

Hayate wouldn't have it as she lifted her hands. "Nonono! We can still do this! Focus! What have we got? We've got wires here, a flashlight, a compass—that puzzle had a compass, too, is that a link? Let's just take the whole thing over to the control panel… The wires match the holes here, and these colors—these colors match these buttons…"

The others were pulled in by her focus and started leaping in all at once, talking quickly. Hands and minds collaborated with the fervor of one final burst of desperate energy. And then…

"One minute." A siren started to sound, joining in with the flashing red lights overhead.

"Ahhhh!"

Hayate didn't acknowledge it as she set the final gadget into place. "Okay, this is it, we've got everything set up, right?"

"Are you sure that's it?"

Hayate answered honestly. "I have no idea. But it all lines up, doesn't it?"

"What if we're wrong?!" 

"We don't have time to be wrong!"

"Ahhhhh!"

Hayate leaned forward. "I'll press it then!" Everyone held their breaths, including Hayate. Going to take it for the team if this didn't work!

Her finger pressed the large red button in the middle of the panel. The button turned green, the red lights overhead stopped flashing, and the siren went silent; all of this was followed by a very audible and collective sigh of relief then promptly by a chorus of cheers.

" _Woohoooo!_ "

"Oh my god, my heart's trying to pound out of my chest!"

"I didn't think that would be right, haha."

The two guides stepped forward with smiles and congratulated them.

"Have any of you done an escape room before?" One of them asked.

"No," was the collective response, though one of them had helped designed one a few years back.

The guide gave a bit of a strange look, like he didn't expect that answer. "This is our hardest room. Only thirteen percent of groups complete it."

"Wait, _whaaat?!_ "

"Pshhh, well we _barely_ completed it, haha!"

A teasing glance was sent the way of their 'Captain of Fun' event organizer and vet assistant. "Seki-san, did you sign us up for the hardest one on purpose?"

" _Nooo!_ I swear! I just picked it because it was the only one that was kind of animal-themed."

"Well you did a great job for first-timers. You had twenty-seven seconds left."

"Whew! That is cutting it way too close!"

The guides shifted over to the tables with the scattered remains of solved puzzles. They walked the group through each of the puzzles for the benefit of those who hadn't worked on each of them and commented on things they observed individuals in the group do which caught the guides' interest, acknowledging them. Their eyes eventually fell on Hayate.

"We were really impressed by how you managed everyone. It's usually pretty obvious early on if a group's got a good chance of making it when we see people communicating and staying on track with each of the other teams. You were all over the place keeping everybody going."

"Especially for the black box puzzle bringing everybody back in. And that clipboard," the second guide chimed in, gesturing to her note-taking. "That was really detailed."

She smiled at the attention and chuckled. "It's honestly half chicken-scratch, there were just so many things going on… I just focused on keeping everything moving, because I knew we had to worry about time."

"Well somebody has to keep all us ninnies on track," Kasuya teased with a wink, and Hayate gave a warm smile back.

The two guides continued on until all the puzzles had been described and then they were presented with their prize in a little treasure box; commemorative bracelets unique to the particular escape room made from a strap of leather with the escape room name and colored beads probably from the crafts store. The cheesy prize earned a few chuckles, but no complaints with the heart-pounding fun and experience of the room having been the real reward obviously.

The group exited the building still bubbling with excitement and chatting amongst themselves, though Hayate settled down a bit and mainly listened to the others still gushing about the team-bonding event.

"So what now? Want to get a drink?"

"Yeah, there are some bars down that way."

"Let's figure out where we're headed…"

The group started musing their next course of action with a few phones coming out to check the area's map. Hayate listened and subtly adjusted her shirt as she glanced around the busy street; a lightweight, white shirt with flowy sleeves to tolerate the heat along with jeans, flats, and a colorful wide hairband. Her heart rate was back to normal, but she could feel the sweat that the spike of adrenaline and activity had spurred.

She shifted over a few steps to Murano, glancing up at him. He was the only man in the group. "Do you notice my Quirk?" She asked him quietly. He looked at her and sniffed without leaning in, understanding her intent; could somebody passing by notice it?

He was quiet for a moment, then admitted, "Yeah… a little."

Kasuya looked back as the conversation caught her ear. "Sit between us at the table," she gestured collectively to the women in the group. "We'll get a booth. Or a private room."

"If I need to ride the train home, though," Hayate replied, her eyes flicking back to Murano.

He got what she meant. "Out to Naruhata again, right? Of course I'll sit with you."

Hayate smiles and said, "Thanks," and that was the end of it.

Their venue was decided, and the group walked down the street still chatting away until they reached their destination. The place was fairly bustling, but it did have two large booths wrapped around tables in the back one of which they occupied squeezing in cozily with Hayate sandwiched in the middle of them all. They ran out of room for Murano, who pulled a chair up and sat down looking a bit sheepish at the arrangement; nine women circled around the booth with him being the odd duck out across from them as a man in a chair.

"… Feels like an interview," he commented in his quiet tone.

Kasuya got right into character with a playful smirk, leaning forward and lacing her hands like she was in charge of this 'meeting'. "So, what can you bring to our all-female staff?"

He played along with a bit of a shrug. "Well, I can buy the beer."

It was a surprisingly quick remark coming from him, earning a few laughs as Kasuya pointed at him. "You're hired!"

It didn't take long for him to make due on that either with the first round of beers getting started; a non-alcoholic beer accompanying for the pregnant Kasuya.

"Kampai!"

They toasted and drank together, then on with the conversation they went about oddball clients, pets, or personal adventures with the vibe cheery and relaxed. There were the quite ones among them—Seki, Murano—, the life of the party types—Kasuya and another vet tech, Chuno—, and then those that fell somewhere in-between like Hayate herself. Everyone had their place at this table.

A few of them got a second drink, but after about an hour and a half glasses stayed empty. Not a party-hard group, they started winding down; some of them were parents to younger children, and others were looking ahead to being at work bright and early the next morning to wrangle uncooperative pets. Murano paid for their tab with the business 'fun budget' card and they gathered outside for one final farewell before going their separate ways.

For most of them, this ended up being collectively walking to the railway station where the group laughed and gave _another_ farewell then fragmented further. As they lived in the same direction, Hayate and Murano got on the same train and sat next to each other with a comfortable space between them for most of the trip. Two like-minded introverts having been similarly drained by the bustling social outing, they sat in companionable silence for most of the way.

A wistful thought dashed across Hayate's mind of sitting next to another taciturn man here on this exact same train, and with it came the first flicker of glumness she'd felt all night. It had been over a week since she'd given him her number, and still no word from him. She had a handful of cute cat pictures saved on her phone to make sure he'd get to see the fast growing kitties… if he'd only text her.

Her mouth scrunched to the side and she frowned at herself a little as another line of thought offered rebuttal. They were train buddies. And, a few times, coffee buddies, nothing more… regardless of how undecided that hopeful inclination of hers was yet. He could be honestly busy and forgetting about something so trivial. He could genuinely not care. Or maybe he just didn't have anything logically productive to say, so he didn't say anything at all. That certainly match his M.O.

She settled back a bit and turned her head to look out the window, and after a moment of consideration decided the thought wasn't worth her worry as her brow relaxed. She'd see him soon enough at the adoption event. Her mind went clear and she watched the urban scenery rushing by without another concerned thought the rest of the way home.

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 _Summer training, Day 15…_

Class A's students were met by their teacher standing expectantly next to a bus as they trickled onto U.A.'s campus 8 am in the morning. Beside him stood an unexpected guest.

"Thirteen-sensei?"

The Space Hero waved a gloved hand. "Good morning! It's good to see you." Unlike Cementoss, they were wearing their hero costume.

"Put on your gym clothes and get onto the bus," Aizawa instructed in a far less cordial tone, appearing bored.

Excitement was the response to this, for it had been the first time he had made such an instruction. Not only that, but with Thirteen's presence and the bus, it was clear they were definitely doing something new… and at the very least, they weren't starting off the day with their sensei's brutal summer conditioning!

They changed and boarded the bus while Aizawa and Thirteen waited outside until 8:15 am before calling it on any more students showing up and boarding themselves. Attendance had been remarkably high; sixteen out of twenty had been the lowest so far over the last few days including today on account of overlapping family vacations. Some of them had to leave early or arrive late some days, but on the whole they were remarkably consistent. Aizawa had expected at least some of them to crack from the pace and take a day or more off, particularly those not on the shortlist to expulsions, but to the contrary, they all truly were meeting him halfway on this with their resilience.

"Hey Thirteen-sensei, are we going to USJ?" A student piped up.

"We are," the hero nodded. "Eraser requested I partake in your summer training. The dedication you've all showed in coming during your break is wonderful! I'm happy to be able to guide you."

Thirteen spoke in their typical warm and passionate manner. The students, however, looked at back them warily in a rather subdued manner. Their eyes flicked uncertainly to the back of their homeroom sensei's head; they had not yet forgotten Cementoss's cameo appearance.

"… Are you just going to get things set up for us?"

"Oh no! I'm going to be teaching you all week," Thirteen chimed happily, voice gaining in passion. "The time we have during the school day is so brief, there's always more that I don't get the chance to teach you about rescue. An opportunity like this is something I simply couldn't turn down." Relief and glee finally flooded the students' faces. They really were getting someone other than their homeroom teacher. It wasn't a trick!

"That's so great!"

"Thank you, Thirteen-sensei!"

"I can't wait!"

The bus bubbled with anticipation all the way to USJ with the students talking amongst themselves and Thirteen who happily engaged with them. Next to Thirteen on the window-side of the seat, Aizawa looked straight ahead with a glazed look in his eyes not acknowledging any of them. They were noisy and illogically rowdy, but he'd allow them to have their scarce moments of fun this summer.

When they reached USJ, the students all filed off the bus after their teachers and into the massive domed building. They stopped in front of the stairs leading down to the main area with Thirteen turning to address them center stage while Aizawa shifted to the side.

Thirteen began warmly. "Very well, let's jump right in then…"

Attentively the students listened. A whole week's worth of rescue training lessons was in their future! The first six days would cover a detailed course with each of USJ's six rescue zones, and the seventh would be a practical 'exam' taking place in all of them to make sure they'd retained the week's information. Eagerly they followed Thirteen with Aizawa trudging along mutely to the side.

Rescue was one of those subjects Aizawa had concluded was just not in his wheel house, and he had no interest in wasting time reinventing the wheel when Thirteen was a specialist. Calling upon the Space Hero to lead these lessons while Aizawa took a secondary role himself was the logical solution. The kids were obviously happy with this decision as well even as they stepped under the artificial deluge of the Downpour Zone. The chilled water made Aizawa's neck tuck into his shoulders a little out of reflex. Was going to be an unpleasantly soaked morning.

Something about the weather brushed a shared neuron, and a memory of the night his sleeping bag had been discarded in the road flashed through his mind. The thought caught him by surprise and he paused on that thought. Oh yeah, Hayate. Hadn't thought about her in a while. Hadn't seen her in a while for that matter. He recalled her number and thought about it for a moment, then shrugged the thought off. Eh, he didn't have any time to meet her for coffee, anyway. Besides, he had a job to do as he focused attention back on Thirteen as they began the lesson.

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"Great work, everyone!" Thirteen chimed.

The teens beamed. "Thank you, sensei!"

Thirteen's warmth and kindness was like a breath of fresh air after two weeks of Aizawa's brutally efficient and logically detached approach. With the two contrasting teachers side-by-side, the difference in their commentary and styles was blatantly obvious. Despite all the students being soaked to the bone from the rescue zone, they seemed to have their spirits raised nonetheless with great help from Thirteen. Aizawa observed this effect impassively while pushing back some dripping stands from his eyes as Thirteen gave their closing statement before Aizawa announced it was time for lunch.

Back onto the bus they went and to the main campus where the students had their lunches stored in their lockers and the teachers in the staff room. It was hot out, but with their clothes still wet the class gathered outside to eat in a group to dry off. To their surprise, Thirteen came out to join them, chatting happily with the class who were happy for their companionship. Aizawa, meanwhile, slept slumped against a wall in the shade at a sizable distance from them to let his own clothes dry out as he did his best to catch up on every last second of sleep he'd been missing so far this summer. He only came-to when his phone buzzed an alarm letting him know lunch was over.

His eyes cracked open groggily and he lethargically moved back into the oppressive rays of the summer heatwave. The kids seemed lively enough though… right up until Aizawa spoke.

"Lunch is over. Ten laps."

"Gahhh!" They groaned and muttered complaints under their breaths at that, but did as he said and started at a trot around the field. _So we didn't get out of conditioning, after all._

Thirteen, though not wanting to intrude on Aizawa's teacher methods, did at least cheer them on to make up for Aizawa's lack of sociability. Once the students were sufficiently sweaty from their run, Thirteen took the lead again for several academic lessons on rescue work to let them catch a break with Aizawa's secondary commentary before their homeroom sensei had his way with them again in U.A.'s weight lifting facilities (this, as a small relief at least, was cool and indoors). To wrap things up in the final hour, their homeroom sensei had them do reviews and stretches before they gathered their things and left the campus with a cheerful wave from Thirteen and a glazed look from Aizawa in parting.

One zone down, five to go…

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 _Elsewhere this week, Thursday…_

"No-no-no-don't shake—" Hayate turned her face away as the dog shook soapy suds in all directions. "Ahh… whelp."

A volunteer beside her laughed, and Hayate smiled and laughed a little at her own expense. With just one week until the adoption event, it was time to make sure that all the animals that were going to be there were looking their best. For the dogs, that meant baths.

The shelter staff and volunteers used the sweltering early August rays to their advantage by bathing the dogs outside. It also gave the dogs a chance to get some fresh air and interaction at the same time, which was always great.

The volunteers to her left and her right with their dogs and soapy suds were dressed in mostly shorts and T-shirts to combat the heat. Hayate wore a pair of comfortably-fitted joggers, a long-sleeved running shirt, running shoes, and a wide hairband covering most of her hair save her bun.

She was bathing a happy-go-lucky golden retriever who was rather pleased to be in water of any kind, even the soapy sort, and his wagging tail was painting the ground with swishes of dripping water and suds. The rest of him struggled to stay still, too, and Hayate's soaked pant legs proved it. But he was having a blast, so she was having a blast right along with him and laughed as he leaned into the towel rubdown and circled around again and again to rub against her thoroughly enjoying it as they finished up.

One dog down, a _lot_ more to go…

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 _Thursday continued, Summer training, Day 20…_

"Yo, yo, yo! How's it going, dear listeners?!"

The students of Class A looked at their English sensei curiously as he greeted them from where he stood at the edge of the sports field, apparently waiting for them to finish with their final exercises and reviews.

"Mic-sensei? What are you doing here?"

"I work here! Why not be here?!" He replied but didn't really answer before swirling into a pose pointing his fingers down at them. "Your turn to answer! How's it going, you _bizz-E_ , _bizz_ -E summer bees?!"

They collectively looked at him rather awkwardly. "Er… okay, I guess?"

"Hah! Well that's something!" He gave a thumbs up and a grin. "Hang in there!"

His encouragement wasn't wasted on them, earning him a few smiles despite his eccentricities. "Thanks, sensei."

Aizawa, meanwhile, stood staring at him with a look that silently screamed ' _what are you doing here?_ ' Yamada took it in stride, waving at him and sauntering over.

"Eeyyy, just the man I wanted to see." He came up beside him and spun to face in the same direction, clapping Aizawa on the shoulder in a light manner making the man go stiff as a board in return. "You're overdue for a drink!" Yamada cocked his head to the side to look at Thirteen, who stood back a ways by the students. "You wanna come with?"

Thirteen seemed surprised by the sudden offer, raising their hands. "Ah, that's a nice offer, but I shouldn't tonight." They gestured a hand at the students. "Tomorrow's going to be busy."

 _Precisely,_ Aizawa thought in agreeance as he looked at Yamada side-long. _So why are you here?_ Yamada's hand pressed into his shoulder a little, ushering Aizawa to walk with him. His shoulder muscles tensed again and he reluctantly did so.

"No problem!" Yamada called back to Thirteen as he started walking away with Aizawa. "Later, kiddos!"

Aizawa aimed a sulking sort of look Yamada's way as the Voice Hero hummed cheerily. This was not part of Aizawa's plan for the evening. It was a week night, and that meant patrol. If Yamada really wanted to bother him, he should have picked a Sunday, which was Aizawa's self-appointed day-off, and told furthermore he should have told him he was going to be waiting for the minute summer training was completed today.

"Showing up unannounced, huh?" Aizawa said as they moved out of earshot of the others.

"You didn't respond to my texts," Yamada answered evenly, pausing his humming just long enough to speak before resuming it. Probably some sort of popular song Aizawa couldn't recognize.

"Meh…" Aizawa's brow was showing a flicker of irritation as he subtly tried to shift away from Yamada's hand, still on him. "Should have been your cue. I'm too busy for a social call right now."

Yamada's hand moved with him, his touch remaining light but still covering his shoulder. "You dislocated your shoulder last night." The same shoulder. Aizawa's eyes widened in surprise. "Fighting a villain in Naruhata market at around midnight." Yamada watched him calmly with a knowing glance. "That right?"

Aizawa stared back at him for a long pause, putting the pieces together. Yamada had been keeping tabs on him. "… You clearly know the answer to that."

Yamada's lips pulled back a little in a smile, though not his artificially-wide radio one. "Making a mistake against a petty villain like that… everyone gets sloppy when they need rest. Even you." He looked straight ahead and finally lowered his hand away from Aizawa's sore shoulder. "Take a night off. I promised you a drink—remember? Have it sooner rather than later."

While Yamada didn't look back for a reply as he resumed humming his tune, Aizawa kept watching him in silence for a while as they walked. Yamada seemed to be leading them back to the staff room knowing Aizawa's sleeping bag would be there. Aizawa's grumbly expression finally softened.

Yamada Hizashi often appeared the fool with his radio persona and over-the-top energy. However, anyone who really knew him was aware that these things merely disguised his keen people sense and sharp mind. And these things combined with his persistence and their long-standing relationship, Yamada had a knack for finding ways through Aizawa's thick shell. Aizawa looked forward again, giving his shoulder a roll. Recovery Girl had patched him up good, but it was still tender, for sure.

"… I suppose the old lady wouldn't want me to rough up her work so soon."

Yamada gave a chuckle at that. "Yeah, for real! It's settled then." His energy picked up in an instant. "Alright! Where do you want to go?"

"Eh, I don't care."

"My pick, then!"

Yamada led them away enthusiastically.

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"Another round—Yeahhh!"

Yamada cheerily refilled Aizawa's empty glass. The former was clearly looking a little buzzed while the latter still seemed completely unaffected and rather blasé about the freshly arrived food arranged on the table that Yamada had ordered for the pair. Ever the chatterbox, Yamada had filled the whole time waiting for their meal while easing into their first drinks with a continuous stream of light-hearted dialogue on seemingly whatever thought flitted through his head.

Aizawa had predictably offered minimal conversation in return in the form of deadpan comments, dry humor, and snarky remarks in his typical manner, to which Yamada's enthusiasm had remained unflappable. But despite the juxtaposition of their vastly different characters on full display facing each other across the table—Aizawa: hunched, still, quiet, and Yamada: animated, energetic, constantly jabbering—Aizawa gave no visibly indication of irritation. Nagging, annoying, dramatic, persistent, loud… _caring_. Being like an unshakable bad cold that had followed him around ever since high school was just Yamada's way of watching out for him, and Aizawa had come to accept that in an appreciative light however wearily. Another beer was the best respite to tolerate the other man's volume and barrage of energetic words.

"Wow! This looks good!" Yamada started enthusiastically dishing up some of the meat onto his plate, shooting Aizawa a watchful glance as the other man slowly added some vegetables.

"Hey man, you're looking thin."

"I'm always thin."

"Thinner than usual, thin. You eating enough? Here, have some meat! Gotta eat up! You sleeping okay? Those kids'll be after you again tomorrow, and those bags under eyes have never looked deeper!"

Aizawa gave a snort as Yamada started nudging more plates his way. "Geez, what are you, my _grandmother?_ "

"Pfft, haha! Well, somebody's gotta have your back."

"I'm fine, Yamada."

"You'll say that as long as you aren't dead," Yamada shot back. There were two states of Aizawa he had come to identify: 'I'm fine' or 'emergency room' with nothing in-between, for as long as he wasn't dead, Aizawa considered it a win and thus illogical to focus on anything other than recovery. Yamada begged to differ with the amount of near heart attacks it caused others, including himself.

Yamada suddenly threw his head back with his hands clenching his chest feigning dramatic pain. "Broken bones! Lacerations! Twenty-four-hour work days!" He brought his head back down in dramatic stoicism. "Bones will mend! 'Tis just a flesh wound! I'll catch up on sleep when I'm dead!"

Aizawa looked over a piece of meat in his chopsticks aiming a thoroughly unimpressed look at Yamada's over-dramatization of his behavior. "… You done?"

"Sheesh, tough crowd tonight. Someone needs to cuddle a kitten," Yamada sighed, slipping out of character and taking a sip of his beer.

It wasn't a deeply thought-out comment on Yamada's part; just another one of his teasing jabs he threw out looking for something to stick, made in vague reference to his friend's cat plans for the summer previously mentioned a few weeks back now. Just checking in, for Aizawa was the sort of person who'd never speak a single unnecessary word in his life if it weren't wrestled out of him, and Yamada would be dammed if he didn't make that push on his behalf.

Another face flashed through his mind and Aizawa stilled. _"Have a good day, Aizawa-san."_ _Hayate… huh._ He'd thought about her for a moment back in the Downpour Zone the other day, too. Well, he'd been too busy to allocate any extra thought energy on her so far this exhausting summer. Summer training during the day, nightly hero patrols, sleep in-between, repeat. But with this imposed night off and the beer slowly easing his tightly-wound mental circuits, he didn't push the thought of her away this time. Thinking about it, his summer routine was feeling a little hollow without their brief morning chat and the kittens. How old were they now, anyway? Seven weeks; eight? Well, it wouldn't be too much longer before he saw them… them and Hayate.

Yamada noticed the subtle shift in his thoughts right away from the focused but not really seeing look Aizawa was aiming at the table, and his curiosity was piqued. "… Hey, what's up?"

Aizawa's eyes shifted away. "Ah… it's nothing."

"You look like you had a thought." Yamada was always so keen to detect his slightest shifts in mood.

Aizawa thought for a moment, then the booze loosened his tongue. "… Been a while since I've seen someone, is all… and her cats."

Yamada's smile lit up. "Oh yeeaahhh, your kitten dealer!" Aizawa shot him an incredulous look. Like he got high on cats, or something. Yamada just laughed in return.

"Yeah? You missing those furry faces? How long's it been?"

"End of term."

"Oh man, you're in kitten withdrawal. Oh hey! When's that adoption event again?"

"This Saturday."

"Right around the corner, then. Huh!" Yamada's smile turned scheming. "Guess you'd better go shopping for cat food, huh? And toys, and a cat bed."

Aizawa exhaled with an exasperated look. "Once again, I'm _not_ getting a cat."

"Why _not?_ " Yamada protested. "You like them!"

Aizawa gathered a breath. "Because…" And logically listed all the negative points of pet ownership. To which Yamada offered a positive rebuttal, spurring Aizawa to scowl and offer counterargument, leaning forward a little in annoyance-driven attention. Yamada eagerly accepted this interest he'd roused in the man and pressed on in the whimsical debate.

It was so troublesome having to go over this again, Aizawa thought. So annoying, so _illogical_ … and caring. That was his closest friend.

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 _Elsewhere…_

Hayate opened the door of her apartment and stepped inside. She was immediately greeted by the pattering of feet trotting her way.

" _Meeee_ ow," Tenten said, coming up to rub her human's legs.

"Hey, Ten." Hayate slipped off her sneakers by the door and scratched the cat's cheeks before walking in further.

She pulled off her headband as she went with a relaxed huff and sagging of her shoulders and used it to wipe the sweat from her forehead while surveying the place for the other fur-balls. Mic peered at her from his sleeping place on the bed and the other two kittens were curled up together in each other's arms on the cat tree by a window. They all glanced at her but were far too comfortable to rise. Hayate went to them instead and offered a quick and appreciated chin scratch to each before heading to the bathroom straight away. After sweating under the oppressive sun all afternoon and getting soaked by sudsy dogs, a cool shower sounded pretty darn good.

After taking her time, Hayate emerged wrapped in a towel. Tenten was stretched out on her side across the bed now, and she along with the kittens watched her get changed with the typical detached interest of feline-kind. However, as soon as she moved to the kitchen space they all quickly changed their tune, sitting up and watching her keenly. When she opened the cat food cupboard this quickly progressed to them rising with stretches and shambling down the cat tree.

By the time their bowls were ready, Hayate had four cats circling her legs like sharks and meowing adamantly. She set the bowls down for each of them and then went about getting herself a light dinner and sitting down at the table with her e-book to read as she ate. When she finished, she washed her dishes straight away, brushed her teeth, turned off all the lights save for the reading light by her bed which she collapsed backward onto with a huff of relieved pleasure to finally be off her feet for good the rest of the night. Her e-book went with her, and she adjusted a little to get into a comfy position stretched out down the bed with her head propped up on her pillow to read.

She hadn't been reading for very long when a furry form jumped up beside her, and she glanced over to see Tenten. The cat evaluated her for a moment, sizing up all the available configurations in which to rest on her reading human, then, naturally, of course, she walked straight over and onto Hayate's chest, blocking the woman's view of the book resting on her stomach as the cat did a few circles before laying down. Still in the way.

Hayate gave a small snort at the cat, who purred in return. She shifted her head back a little on the pillow to look over the cat's back better, but when this proved insufficient, she brought the reader forward and perched it on Tenten's back instead. The cat's head swiveled around at this to stare at the device. Being reduced to a book prop was apparently sufficient insult, for Tenten promptly got up and moved off of her. Hayate set the book down comfortably on her chest. Tenten circled around slowly and walked over Hayate's torso twice more before finally creeping onto her stomach and settling down into a loaf again. A satisfactory arrangement for both of them.

Hayate got through a few more pages before another furry form plopped onto the bed: Mic. He made a place for himself just below Tenten's spot on Hayate's hips, melting into her lap with a content feline smile. Tenten seemed to have sparked a popular trend, for the other two kittens followed her lead as well. Hayate glanced up and around her e-book each time to watch the next cat settle below the previous with the three kittens filling the space from her lap down to her knees. Whelp, it was a good thing she went pee already since it didn't seem like she was even going to be able to get up again tonight.

She returned her attention to her reader with a smile. It was, by all accounts in her book, just a normal summer evening.

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Not so far away, someone else was getting home to a cat-free apartment at similar time. Aizawa nudged off his boots and lifted off his Capturing Weapon. It didn't take him long to get ready for bed then lazily shuffle onto it not bothering with any covers in the warm night. With a full belly and sufficient booze, he was plenty ready for a proper night's sleep. He started to plug his phone into its charger with one hand, but then his fingers paused.

He looked at the phone for a long moment, then he unlocked the screen instead of setting it aside and went into his contacts. He scrolled until he found the name he was looking for.

 _Hayate Aika._

The thought of her had come up three times now. Though staring at her name now, his mind was completely blank. He didn't have anything in mind to say to her, exactly. Just a thought that making contact before the adoption event and exchanging numbers was a logical thing to do. And also… some sort of vague inclination to check-in out of acknowledgement of their lack thereof this summer.

His thumb moved, typing out a message quickly and hitting send, then he turned his phone off, plugged it in, then settled into his pillow and closed his eyes.

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 _Bzzzzz_.

Hayate stirred at the interruption of her phone buzzing on the stand beside her bed. She looked over at it curiously. _Huh._ She didn't have a very active texting life with just a few individuals coming to mind, and none of them with any obvious reason to text right now. With a little curiosity, she pulled her hand away from her e-book and pressed the home button to light up the screen.

She started to read the text that popped up, and her eyes lit up with an excited flutter in her chest as they passed over a name. At once, she lowered her e-book to the side and brought her phone over to unlock it and look at the message properly.

 _This is Aizawa Shota. See you Saturday._

It was stupidly simple and straightforward, just the logically necessary information, but she was smiling, anyway. _About time!_ She had been starting to wonder if he'd lost the phone number she'd given him. Hayate studied the text, thinking about what to say. It didn't really invite any obvious routes to a conversation, but she had a mind to make one. _I could send him the kittens._

She saved him as a contact then flicked to the photos section on her phone and looked over the pictures she'd taken in the past weeks, saving some for him to see since he wouldn't see them growing up directly. None of them seemed exactly right, though. This one had Mic but not the other two, now named Sesame (the male) and Mona (the female). That one had Sesame and Mona, but not Mic. Scanning through them all none of them seemed 'just' right, and she lightly chewed on her lip in indecision. Her eyes shifted away from her phone to look down her own body at all the cats laid out there, and the indecision slid from her features in exchange for a sly grin. She lifted her phone and took a picture, then typed out a message and hit send.

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 _Bzzzzz_.

Aizawa's sleepy eyelids slowly crept back open. He peered at the phone for a few moments, then decided the timing was too perfect for it to be anyone other than Hayate replying, so he reached a heavy hand for the phone and checked it without raising his head.

 _We'll see you then. =(^_^)=_

He read the short text that popped up on his home screen, but there was also an indicator of a picture message too, which carried just enough intrigue to make him lazily check further. His tired eyes gained more focus as the picture opened up.

It was a photo looking down Hayate's lap. A short-haired adult calico that he presumed must be Tenten was cat-loafing on her stomach covered by a white shirt. The three kittens were nestled in a snuggling row starting with Mic sprawled on her lap down to the female kitten between her knees, exposed by the short black shorts Hayate was wearing.

He studied the kittens in turn. They looked bigger than he remembered. Well, not that it surprised him. And very happy with their current arrangement. His eyes shifted to the adult cat as well, getting a good look at the cat only described to him before now. Her fur was mottled with smaller splotches of black and orange, though he could see a little bit of white on what he could see of her chin and neck in this overhead view. _Tenten_ meaning 'scattered in drops', or 'here and there'; huh, that was a much better name than Mic if he was being honest with himself.

It was a pleasant picture, leaving him satisfied to see cats both again and for the first time. That he hadn't expected a picture at all made it a little more satisfying. And that he didn't look away for several more seconds after looking at the felines was also something unexpected of himself, though whether it was with the help of the booze, his tiredness, or something else he didn't have the energy or thought to care about as his eyes trailed next down the curve of her hip to the ends of her shorts exposing her legs starting at mid-thigh and down to her bare feet. He hadn't expected to see the kittens, nor her like that. Perhaps that's why he looked, though he didn't think about it. They simply were both nice to look at.

It would be a simple manner to leave their exchange as it was, but his snark, warmed up from the evening with Yamada and loosened by the drinking, and this unexpected but well-received picture roused his fingers to type again.

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 _Bzzzzz_.

Hayate picked up her phone again immediately.

 _Comfy. Do you think you have enough cats?_

She looked at the screen, her smiling mouth swishing to the side as she thought. She could hear the snark in his imagined voice. It kind of surprised her how much she missed that dry wit in the mornings. But two could play at that game.

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 _Bzzzzz_.

Aizawa's eyes opened again, a bit quicker this time. He hadn't even bothered closing his phone this time as he waited.

 _They've got me outnumbered. I've been their prisoner for the last hour. Send help!_

He snorted a little. Ridiculous. She was clearly inviting more of his sarcasm, and he didn't feel inclined to disappoint.

 _Bzzzzz_.

 _Would a sleeping bag help?_

 _Bzzzzz_.

 _So you can smuggle them back to your place?_

 _Bzzzzz_.

 _Guess the cat's out of the bag. You've got enough to share._

 _Bzzzzz_.

 _Nah, not much time left with them. Got to keep them all to myself. But you can cuddle them soon ;)_

She debated between a smiley face and a winky face for way too long.

 _Bzzzzz_.

 _Sure. Later._

His eyelids were drooping against his will now. Yamada had a point about the overworking, plus the fatigue from Recovery Girl's handy work. And that meal and the beer really hit the spot.

 _Bzzzzz_.

 _Good night!_

He gave a glazed lookover of her final text then turned the phone screen off and set it aside. He closed his eyes again, a small, pleasant lightness pervading his mind. That exchange had been a nice surprise.

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Hayate set her phone aside, a bit of a giddy feeling in her stomach. It was silly of course to feel so happy over such a simple exchanging of words, but it had been the first time she'd talked to him in nearly three weeks. The uncertain flame she held for him gave a flicker. She still didn't know, still wasn't sure… but she pushed that aside as she resumed her book. Either way, she wouldn't let it ruin her being happy to hear from him.

Tonight was Thursday, tomorrow Friday, and then… Saturday, maybe she'd find an answer.

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 _Summer training, Day 21…_

It was time for Thirteen's final evaluation. All twenty students were sure to show up today. First, Thirteen took them to the Downpour Zone. The courses were already set up, the Hero gave them their evaluation parameters, and then they were let loose.

"Show me that you remember all your training!"

The students happily complied, eager to please their very pleasant and endearing rescue instructor. Thirteen watched on intently with an electronic clipboard with Aizawa standing beside them peering watchfully out from under his bangs. Beside the pair of them was a third special guest; Ectoplasm. It had been a rather last-minute invite on Thirteen's part to include him with the aim of having his clones serve as rescue victims and with his ability to make one for each individual student as well as evaluate then all closely first-hand. Having an outside Hero unfamiliar with any of their training evaluate their ability was also valuable, and for all of the above reasons it was easily approved by Aizawa.

They went zone-by-zone with a brief break in-between each for all of the clones to return and submit their individual student reports to Thirteen and for the students to get a drink of water and shake off their nerves. While the students went about their test, the teachers sometimes verbalized their observations to each other.

"They've all got solid rescue fundamentals so far. A bit slow to respond, but I can't fault them heavily on that after just one week. They'd pass the minimum requirements of rookie rescue interns," Ectoplasm stated seriously.

Thirteen looked relieved and proud. "They've all shown wonderful improvement! They're an attentive, promising group of kids."

"…" Aizawa offered no comment despite the praise of his class, and Ectoplasm glanced his way. He hadn't said a word regarding his class at all so far with only Thirteen offering any compliment. From Ectoplasm's perspective, he couldn't say why this was. Neither he nor Aizawa was particularly social, and for that reason primarily they spoke little to the other remaining so far in the time they'd known each other as just neutral acquaintances.

"… What are your thoughts on them, Eraser?" Ectoplasm asked, hoping to gain some insight into the silent man.

Aizawa's eyes flicked his way briefly and Thirteen shifted to look over as well out of curiosity. The look on Aizawa's face as he thought a moment in silence seemed to be dissatisfied, then he looked straight again to where the class was doing their testing. "… They are improved."

Both of the other teachers waited for an elaboration, but none came a bit to their surprise. Thirteen was the first to speak up. "Is that all you have to say? They've done a good job this week, Eraser. Surely one kind word isn't too much to give them," the Space Hero urged.

"I'm not looking for 'good' students," Aizawa replied levelly, still looking straight ahead. "Better than bad… is that all you're looking for?"

Thirteen stiffened up a little at that. They struggled to find the suitable words for a few moments. From the beginning, they had been aware that Aizawa operated on a very different philosophy from themselves. They'd seen it first-hand all week in the detached way that Aizawa addressed his students. His way was perfectly logical, with frigidly honest critique, and factory efficient; it seemed so cold and impersonal with never a spoken word of praise or encouragement, especially to uplift those students feeling at the bottom.

Thirteen had decided not to question it though it troubled them a little, and in large-part this had to do with the positive results they saw in the physical growth and mental toughness the students demonstrated in response to Aizawa's methods. However, disregarding all the hard work his own students had put in despite their commitment, as he seemed to do here, did rub the pleasant and kind hero the wrong way.

"That's not a fair thing to say. Of course I'm looking for more than that. I think they _are_ more than that right now. But you've never seemed to think so. Just when are they good enough for your high standards?" Thirteen gave their answer in a tactful, calm voice, though internally they were still a bit bothered by this. Beside Thirteen and Eraser, Ectoplasm elected to remain silent, finding observation to be a revealing path to answering his personal musings.

Aizawa was quiet for a while without acknowledgement of the other hero, then spoke. "I want to see that they have the ability to survive and the potential to thrive. Minimum fundamentals… that's passable at best. But being slow to respond? That's fatal at worst. There's never a guarantee that they'll have just 'one more week' to practice something before they need it. How they respond in that crucial moment of stress… What I'd like to see… you could call it a 'spark' of something, I suppose."

"Not all of them can respond so quickly like that. Not many students can. That's not a realistic expectation for them at all," Thirteen returned.

"'Not many students can'…?" Aizawa repeated slowly, the first flicker of emotion rising in his voice. His eyes slid back to the other hero. "Where do you think we are, Thirteen?" Thirteen tensed up a little again. "Do you think that out of the thousands of students who apply to U.A. that anything less than a student who _can_ is qualified? U.A. is a school for 'the best'. It stakes its very reputation on that. My personal philosophies aside, no teacher here should settle for less than that."

"… You and I have very different approaches, that must is readily apparent. But I don't think that your way needs to be inherently devoice of any encouragement. For a developing child, that goes a long way," Thirteen answered.

Aizawa looked at them for a moment, then his eyes returned to the students in front of them with a cool reply. "When they've earned my praise, you'll hear it."

Thirteen fell silent at the finality of Aizawa's tone, and looked away. An unsettled feeling of resignation hung over their mind. Agree to disagree seemed to be Aizawa's conclusion to the matter, although Thirteen couldn't offer anything better at the moment. High expectations were not a bad thing to have in the Space Hero's opinion, but when it would take an astronaut to even reach those heights it just seemed like too much.

Ectoplasm, having not said a word so far, continued just as he was, though he studied Aizawa for a time. Eventually, he gave a quiet hum and looked forward, shifting on his prosthetic legs and rubbing one against the other in thought.

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"I'm very pleased to announce that all twenty of you have satisfactorily passed my rescue training."

A celebratory clamor rose out of the students at Thirteen's announcement. A whole week of thorough physical applications, memorization, and mental exercises concluded.

"Here, pass these out. These are your individual assessments. Take these notes to heart and grow into even greater young heroes." Thirteen handed out slim assessment sheets and the students started excitedly talking amongst themselves as they went over the details.

"I knew I'd score lowest in water rescue."

"Oh! I actually did good in fire rescue! I wasn't feeling very confident, heheh."

"Thank you, Thirteen-sensei."

The other students looked up at the thanks and eagerly joined.

"Yeah! You've been so helpful!"

"Thank you!"

Thirteen looked a little bashful and waved off the thanks graciously. "It was my pleasure. You were all excellent students as well."

Aizawa stood beside Thirteen observing all of this. A transformation progressed across his facial features from neutrality to a discontented frown as his patience drew thin, eyes scanning the students and eventually settling on Thirteen.

Thirteen was a teacher who easily rallied the hearts of young students. Kind, patient, consistent, passionate, nurturing; they provided a sense of security and confidence to uncertain youth. It was the perfect environment to build a stable baseline in their abilities. But Aizawa recognized its limitations. Safe. Structured. How very unrealistic. He could see it so clearly in his student's faces. It was not enough.

"Let's not get too comfortable yet." The students paused in their good spirits as Aizawa suddenly spoke, their eyes shifting to him as he took a few steps forward while loosening up his arms and Capturing Weapon. "You've completed Thirteen's assessment." He stopped walking and looked up at them with hard eyes. "Mine is next."

Everyone looked surprised, including Thirteen and Ectoplasm, who had not been informed of this. "Huh? We've got _another_ test?"

"At this time, we are essentially half-way through your summer. Call this your 'midterm' if you want," Aizawa supplied. "And it's going to begin right now."

Aizawa's eyes flicked to Thirteen. "Thirteen, enter the Ruins Zone. You will be the civilian. Arrange your environment and determine your degree of faux injury as you see fit for a rescue situation. In five minutes, they will enter the zone."

Thirteen considered this with a bewildered but intrigued look. Slowly, they looked to the Ruins Zone and nodded. "… Very well." _Another test._ They started walking. _Eraser… I have a hard time understanding the way you think._ His eyes had seemed dissatisfied. _However… I want to understand. I will follow your plan._

"And… what should we do, sensei?"

"I'll tell you in five minutes," Aizawa stated blandly, lifting his phone with a timer set and countdown starting as he walked after Thirteen.

That shut them up for the most part besides a few muttering "seriously?" under their breaths. They followed Aizawa nervously as he started over to the Ruins Zone to wait. Ectoplasm shifted close to him as they walked, leaning in and murmuring. "What are you planning? We didn't talk about this."

"Just something a little unpredictable," Aizawa returned vaguely in an equally muted tone. Ectoplasm considered that thoughtfully in silence.

They came to a stop in front of the zone and the students fidgeted and watched their sensei anxiously as the clock ticked down for seemingly an eternity. When it finally did beep, their eyes were pinned on him.

"All of you enter the zone now. Find Thirteen. When they pass _this_ threshold—" he took a step up to the entryway of the zone to rap on it lightly with his knuckle "—you have successfully rescued them and pass."

The students stared at him. Aizawa said nothing more, watching them impassively. "… That's it?" One of them finally voiced hesitantly.

"Yes," he replied.

The students still looked confused. That seemed… _too_ easy. There had to be a catch, but as to what it was, their sensei's poker face wasn't giving it away.

"Get moving," Aizawa ordered, and the students quickly shifted into motion. They entered the zone still casting a few glances over their shoulders at him and whispering theories amongst themselves.

"Do you think there are traps in here?"

"We were just in this zone! No way he set anything up."

"Thirteen seemed surprised, too."

"It doesn't take twenty people to rescue just one, though. Sensei's got something."

"Knowing him, it's something ridiculously tough."

The students dispersed into the zone, spreading out to find Thirteen. Aizawa plodded into the zone after them to keep his eyes on them and Ectoplasm followed. The students split up into groups and communicated as their training dictated to quickly search the zone.

"We found Thirteen!" Heads turned as one student shouted to the others. "They're over this way, come on!" The students started to regroup, zeroing in on the spot, and Aizawa followed after them, still giving away nothing with his silence. By the time Aizawa reached them, most of the students were in a loose group around Thirteen walking them back to the entrance as Aizawa had instructed. Thirteen was feigning a bad limp as their chosen faux injury, and one of the students helped them hobble along. None of them seemed to be in any great hurry; clearly the ease of the rescue task and uncertainty about Aizawa's motives weighed their feet a little. However, at the sight of Aizawa stepping directly in front of their path and blocking them, they tensed up.

He pulled his goggles up over his eyes and loosened his Capturing Weapon in both hands as he walked forward. "A villain has just appeared. Protect Thirteen. Your primary rescue objective remains unchanged. However, if the villain captures Thirteen—" Aizawa whipped the Capturing Weapon loose in each hand "—Your assessment ends there."

They looked startled, eying his suddenly combat-ready posture warily with a sinking feeling. "Wait… by 'villain', do you mean-" before they even had opportunity to confirm their suspicion, each end of his Capturing Weapon suddenly whipped out to coil around a chosen unlucky student before being pulled back. They both landed in unceremoniously heaps as Aizawa advanced without pause at a run.

 _Ahhh! That is totally what he means!_

The students scrambled. "W-Wait a second!" Another two students gave a lurch as the metallic bindings trapped them.

"Villains do not wait for your convenience," Aizawa humored them in blunt response as two more students were tossed.

The rest of them got the message then. They got over their shock and hastily lowered into battle stances. _Seriously!? Sensei_ _ **is**_ _the test!?_

What followed over the course of the next minute could be described as a pitiful display of their inexperience as, even with the odds in their favor twenty to one, that one Pro proceeded to flip them this way and that without any obvious difficulty while they scrambled to attack him with hashed together moves that quickly fell victim to Erasure and the binding cloth.

For the students, this was jarring. For the two teachers watching on, this was also surprising. Thirteen bit back their compulsion to yell out words of encouragement and direction, for even as different as their teaching approach was from Aizawa's, Thirteen could see what he was trying to do, and it was something that a rescue Pro like Thirteen with less than half the combat experience could not have done: an unforeseen combat simulation.

In Ectoplasm's combat-experienced eyes, greater subtleties in what Aizawa was doing were obvious. While Aizawa might have claimed that villains did not wait, it was apparent by the way he did not go straight for Thirteen, instead zigzagging between students to attack them first, that he was in fact giving them time to respond and adapt to the scenario before going for the 'killing blow'. It was also apparent from his minimally harmful binding tosses and light jabs that he was not incapacitating any of them like a Pro normally should, allowing them to get up and try to attack him again. It was a tough fight, but he wasn't making it impossible for them.

A few of the students in the heart of the pack closest to Thirteen were mobilizing. A rush of words exchanged under their breaths where their sensei could not hear and then they were acting. _"Hide us from sensei's eyes!"_ Aizawa looked to a sudden kicking up of dust that surrounded Thirteen and drifted outward in a cloud. _A smokescreen?_ He hung back and observed, hair dropping to keep Erasure at the ready. A smokescreen meant they were blocking his eyes, and that meant they finally had a plan.

Rocks. One of the powerhouse Quirks of the group kicked up a shower of debris up into the air. _"Break up the rock like you did in Cementoss-sensei's obstacle course, but send them up in the air."_ As it came raining down there were too many pieces to dodge as they started to pelt Aizawa. They weren't big enough to cause much damage, but they were enough to cause an instinctive flinching of his eyes, especially if he looked up. They forced his eyes downward. And with that, he didn't see what they were doing. _"I want to get above sensei." "I'll throw you!"_

Aizawa wasn't looking up, but the summer sunlight cast a shadow on the ground that was much too big to be a rock approaching fast and right for him. It was his only warning, giving him just enough time to twist to the side out of its direct path and look up. He looked in time to catch the student leaping down from the sky in Erasure's sights, but not in time to act and block the punch. It connected with his jaw perfectly transferring all the force of the desperate and determined teen behind it into Aizawa' face, and that was enough to knock the hero off balance and down to the ground.

Seeing their teacher get hit by any of them for the first time period let alone hard enough to hit the ground seemed to temporarily stun all the students as much as their teacher was from the blow, for they paused and stared at the first hit any of them had gotten in after a lot of floundering about. Even the student who landed the punch seemed shocked that he had actually done it, his eyes wide as he watched Aizawa pull himself slowly into a seated position.

 _I actually got him! He got my Quirk, but… I got him!_ A shiver of elation ran down his spine.

Aizawa drew the back of his hand across his smarting jaw, wiping a smudge of blood from the corner of his mouth where the inside of his lip had been cut on his teeth from the blow. "Heh…" That hurt. But he was smiling as he lifted his head to the student. "That was a good punch."

The boy looked surprised, then his eyes lit up. Since the first day of summer training, not a single compliment of any sort had passed their sensei's lips. Always pushing for more with bluntly-spoken constructive criticism and instruction, they strove and fought to reach that standard he forced them to climb to. And yet, despite their efforts, he never seemed satisfied or excited for them. It sparked a feeling that quietly simmered collectively in them, especially when he was put side-by-side with Thirteen who was essentially his opposite in teaching approach. It was a spiteful sort of feeling; a seed of concentrated teenage rebellion that stubbornly wanted to stick it to him in retaliation for his harshness however well he had their intentions in mind.

And with just that one line, one hit, one compliment… finally, a first acknowledgement from him. They had finally touched that standard. They all seemed to feel it in that moment, watching him rise with a grin still on his face—

And then suddenly Aizawa's eyes were flashing red, his Capturing Weapon was whipping out in multiple directions, and approximately three seconds later another four of them bound and on the ground including the student who had punched him.

"What the heck, sensei?!" One of the felled students cried out in protest.

He didn't bat an eye at their indignation, explaining bluntly as he carried on fighting. "Your assignment wasn't to punch me. How much time did you just waste gawking after that hit? You lost your opportunity to restrain me for Thirteen's safety. Naturally, this is the result."

They gritted their teeth. "Oh come on!"

Unlike Thirteen, it was hard to love their homeroom sensei. He seemed to make it his goal to be as unlikeable as possible. But even through their indignation, a spark was lit. It was finally possible to meet his great expectations.

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"Soooo… I guess we failed the midterm, huh?"

Aizawa gave an indifferent shrug to the question posed to him as he surveyed the roughed up group. He undid the bindings around the captured Thirteen in a smooth motion. "Technically speaking, yes." He adjusted the bindings back to their proper place around his neck. "Hm, although, your potential isn't zero."

Perhaps it was supposed to be encouragement, but it made their shoulders sag a little instead. _'Not zero' is the highest rating he can give us?_

Aizawa didn't seem to notice. "Moving on, tomorrow we will not meet for training. I'd advise you to take advantage of your day off to rest up for the training camp. If you've thought this was tough, then be prepared for nothing different." He ran through a few quick reminders on their meeting time on Sunday and supplies to bring for the camp. "That's all." He started to turn away. "We're going to end the day here. Head back to the bus."

The class let out a collective breath. _No conditioning._ A small blessing he quietly granted them that went unquestioned. Aizawa listened detachedly as they started to break into small groups and jabber amongst themselves with the early release. Up the stairs of USJ, onto the bus, and back to the main UA campus they went.

"Bye, sensei!" The students gave a wave at the three teachers who clustered loosely together after exiting the bus with a predictably warm farewell from Thirteen, reserved one from Ectoplasm, and a grunt of acknowledgement from Aizawa in return. Once the students were out of earshot, two of the teachers turned their attention to the third.

"Eraser…" He glanced over at Thirteen as they started. "I'm glad we were able to work together this past week. I feel like I understand your methodology a lot better now having seen it in action. Our approaches are very different, but I can see the value each holds for our students. I hope this is just the first collaboration of more to come with your time as a teacher here at UA." Respectful, earnest, and polite, Thirteen had carefully thought out how to say their honest feelings to the emotionally-stiff man. They had seen the 'spark' Aizawa had been looking for in the students' eyes, and with it came understanding of this newest colleague.

Aizawa seemed roused enough to gain a considerate, slightly softer disposition in return to this reasonable and open cordiality. "Yes, that would be good." His gaze shifted away, fishing for further words briefly. "… They benefitted from both approaches."

Thirteen nodded in agreement, looking pleased.

"Eraser." Aizawa and Thirteen both glanced over as Ectoplasm spoke up. "Do you have further plans for their training this summer?"

"Yeah. It'll continue right after training camp."

"Hm…" Ectoplasm thought for a moment, then came to a decision. "I'd like to assist in your class's training."

"Hm?" Aizawa's eyelids lifted in surprise, but then settled back down again as he thought about it. Thirty extra pairs of hands? "Hm… That would be useful."

Ectoplasm nodded and continued, sounding serious. "You and I have yet to interact very much. However, from what I've seen today, we are of a similar mind." He shifted one prosthetic leg forward to reveal it out from under the trench coat of his hero costume, drawing their eyes to it with a grave tone coming to his voice. "I am in a stronger position than most to speak of the potential consequences of this career… It's as you said: a single moment's hesitation can be more devastating than any lack of technical basics. Even lethal." He shifted his leg back, drawing their eyes back up to his. "It's a fate I wouldn't wish to befall any student of mine, and for that aim, I have no hesitation in putting them through trials of adversity under my watchful eyes before they face that risk alone."

Aizawa studied him thoughtfully, a focused look on his face. Huh. An unexpected new ally. "I completely agree with that assessment." He gave a hum and shifted a hand to his neck, thinking. "I'm not really around tomorrow to go over the training plan, and then the camp takes up the next week… perhaps discussing over the phone and email during the trip plus the night I return would be sufficient."

"How about tonight?" Ectoplasm suggested.

"Tonight?" Aizawa looked surprised.

"It would be excellent timing. Everything will be set before you get back from the training camp and we can begin at once," Ectoplasm reasoned.

Aizawa contemplated incorporating Ectoplasm into two weeks' worth of training in a single night. "Well… it wouldn't hurt to get started tonight, I suppose. Yeah, let's do it."

"Excellent. Why don't we discuss it alongside dinner? I have just the place in mind."

Of course, Ectoplasm had been actively using his Quirk to full extent most of the day. Having a rest after all that was perfectly reasonable. Aizawa nodded. "Sure, that's fine."

Ectoplasm looked over at Thirteen. "Would you like to come as well?"

Thirteen looked a little surprised at the offer, and suddenly bashful. "Ah, I'm not involved in their training the rest of the summer. Would I be of much use to your discussion?" These two harder-minded individuals seemed to have clicked right away finding common ground for such a sudden team up.

"Nonsense. Your perspective is valuable. That aside, it's an opportunity to get more acquainted," Ectoplasm supplied, looking at Aizawa.

Aizawa gave a small shrug of indifference. As the new teacher in the room, he wasn't surprised by an established staff member's social offer to him.

Thirteen was reassured by this. "Well then, I'd gladly come. Thank you."

"I'll have to grab a few things first," Aizawa said, turning back towards the main building.

The group followed him back to the staff room to get their own things as well. Aizawa gathered up his sleeping bag and a black shoulder bag full of all the students' summer training files and he was ready to go.

"Do you want to grab some ice?" Thirteen asked him as they regrouped to leave.

"Ice?"

"For your cheek," Thirteen pointed roughly at where their own would be under the helmet. "It's bruising."

Oh, right. That punch. His hand lifted to touch his left cheek reflexively. It did feel a little sore. "Eh, it's fine. Not the first bruise I've gotten."

The other two teachers said nothing out of respect for his decision and they proceeded out of the staff room and off of the campus with Ectoplasm taking the lead as the chooser of their destination. Along the way, it was mostly Thirteen and Ectoplasm who stirred up conversation, pulling the taciturn Aizawa in at their inquisitive prodding.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Eraser, but by your solo, underground reputation, I'd say you're someone who isn't as someone who is particularly collaborative," Ectoplasm grabbed his attention.

"Yeah, that's accurate."

"Given my Quirk, perhaps it would be surprising to know that neither am I. Coordinating my many clones to work together may give someone the impression of sociability, but to the contrary, I'd rather work with 'my selves' than a group of people of equal size. When I work by myself, I have control of a situation. If anything goes wrong, I have no one but myself to blame. I imagine you have relatable thoughts regarding your solo career."

"Hm… essentially, yes. People can be very irrational, especially under stress."

"Agreed. Though you are certainly open to initiating collaboration," he gestured at Thirteen.

"If it's logical to do so. Rescue is not my specialty. There's no point in trying to teach it better than a specialist can."

"You're a capture specialist yourself, I recall," Thirteen piped up. "And a solo one at that. It's a completely different area from what I do. Rescuing is very social in my case, and I see relatively little combat; especially with Black Hole being dangerously ill-suited for fighting others, it's an unlucky day if I am the one fighting or trying to capture a villain. What sort of difficulties do you usually face, Eraser?"

Aizawa answered them readily though perhaps without much enthusiasm, keeping his answers brief and straight to the point. But he listened, which was a more useful way of assessing others in his view. Thirteen: rescue specialist, highly personable and cooperative, weak combatant, adept at managing peace into a chaotic disaster environment after the fight was over. Rather the opposite of himself. Ectoplasm: a skilled generalist, moderately cooperative but preferring his own clones' company, equally adept at rescue and combat situations without necessarily being the best at either.

And then himself, of course making up the other end of the spectrum: capture specialist, loner, cooperation and people skills developed out of necessity alone, weak utility for rescue but high ability for combat, especially as a hard counter to most powerful Quirks. The spread of teachers at UA was a microcosm of the industry as a whole. Aizawa wouldn't pretend to be social or anything, but knowing the different professional backgrounds of these new long-term colleagues was beneficial.

"Um, we're going to karaoke?"

Huh? Aizawa looked up at Thirteen's timid voice cutting into his thoughts. He'd tuned out of the conversation for a bit.

"It's mostly for me. The food is excellent as well," Ectoplasm explained, taking the lead into the building.

"Ah, I should have guessed," Thirteen replied in the way of someone who knew something about the other teacher that Aizawa didn't and followed after Ectoplasm without delay.

Aizawa stared after them and glanced at the building for a moment, then followed after a little bit slower out of uncertainty.

Well… they had left it up to Ectoplasm to pick the dinner location, so complaining would be in bad taste. Just as important as someone's professional history was their… hobbies. Apparently.

"Your usual room?" The attendant at the desk asked Ectoplasm with a smile.

"Yes. Two hours should be sufficient."

 _Usual?_ Aizawa studied the back of Ectoplasm's head. Came here often, then.

They followed Ectoplasm down to the 'usual' room and followed him. Aizawa looked around with faint confusion. "Uh… there are three of us?" It was a huge room for a substantial group; roughly square with booth seating along three walls accompanied by tables and the karaoke screen on the fourth.

Ectoplasm chuckled. "For now," he answered cryptically.

Aizawa frowned, puzzling that over. _For now? Wait… does he mean his Quirk?_

"Oh, you haven't gotten a chance to do planning with Ectoplasm yet, have you, Eraser?" Thirteen chimed in, recognizing the confusion on his face.

Aizawa looked at him. "No…?" Thirteen just giggled and followed Ectoplasm's lead in taking a seat. Aizawa frowned at that but didn't question further, sliding in beside Thirteen. _Guess I'll find out soon._

"Let's get started right away," Ectoplasm began, looking at the shoulder bag Aizawa had brought.

He obliged, setting it on the table and taking out the file contents. "Each of the students filled out an assessment at the start of the summer and their plan is individualized accordingly. Although, the overall structure for all of the students is the same…" They listened attentively as Aizawa gave an explanation, and when he finished, Ectoplasm nodded.

"Thanks, that's enough to begin." He leaned back, taking in a large breath and turning his head towards the room. The characteristic spooky glowing cloud of his Quirk poured out of his mouth and filled the room forming into twenty clones. Aizawa looked around them all, his earlier thought confirmed. His eyes shifted back to the real Ectoplasm he cleared his throat roughly and set a briefcase he had brought on the table, opening it up to take out a case of pens out of his coat pocket to set it on the table and a stack of clean papers.

"I'm running a bit dry after all the testing today, but that will do," he said in a good-humored tone, reaching for the electronic menu screen on the table to place an order for food and drink.

A first clone stepped forward, took a pen, one of the student files, then stepped aside. Another followed and repeated, then so on until all twenty student files had been dispersed among the clones. Aizawa was getting a clearer picture of what was going on now, and it had some pretty marvelous implications.

"So you can go over all twenty plans at the same time?" He asked slowly.

"Mm-hm," Ectoplasm settled back a bit in his seat.

"His Quirk's just as applicable to teacher planning as it is to student teaching," Thirteen chimed in happily.

"Makes grading papers a breeze. Or, in this case, adjusting your existing plans to accommodate me," Ectoplasm added. "I am of the same mind as all of my clones. Or rather, they are all of mine. I can leave them to act as independent offshoots of my own thoughts and 'tune-in' freely as needed." He looked over at Aizawa, his eyes squinting in a smile. "The real limitation is how well _you_ can keep up with _all of_ _me_."

Aizawa realized what he meant, and then it was his turn to sweat as he slowly surveyed the room, letting it sink in. The odds were twenty to one, same as before with his students, but this time it was him presented with an unexpected challenge.

"You should order your food now, Eraser," Ectoplasm advised wisely.

"Huh… Yeah." The gathered clones read their files and scribbled out notes quietly while he made his order. Once it was done and he leaned back, one of the clones lifted its head and raised a hand.

"Eraser, for this student…" And so it began. One clone followed after the next in an orderly fashion, lining up their questioning turns of discussion for Aizawa. Each clone focused solely on its own student and papers. Aizawa, meanwhile, had to rapid-fire answer each of their inquiries and proposals, jumping between students and points of interest. A twenty-way discussion with himself as the focal point. It was intense. It was highly efficient. It was logically _brilliant_.

By the time the door opened with their food and drink orders, his mind was spinning.

"That's a good place to stop for now," Ectoplasm told Aizawa as they got their food in front of them.

Aizawa gave a bit of a sigh, slumping down his characteristic slouch for the first time in the discussion. "That's something else."

"You keep up very well," Ectoplasm commented.

"Thanks."

"It's always so fascinating to watch," Thirteen said with a chuckle. "Though overwhelming to be at the center of."

Aizawa took a slow bite and watched the clones. "… So they're just going to keep working while we eat?"

"Mm-hm." Ectoplasm a hearty drink for his dry mouth and looked like he would maybe burp for a moment, then instead more fog poured out of his mouth. Three more clones formed. "Aha, that feels better…" He turned his attention to the karaoke machine.

Well, it was bound to happen at some point given the venue Aizawa silently lamented. His eyes shifted to the beer he had ordered and he quickly downed it at once and ordered another. Lesson planning be damned, if this was going to be anything like Yamada's singing, the more beer, the better to drown it with. The new clones stepped forward with Ectoplasm. The reason became clear enough as the four of them started singing in perfect sync as a quartet.

Aizawa watched blank-faced and ate alongside Thirteen, whose feet moved in time with the music. Huh. No idea what song it was, something jazzy, but it wasn't an obnoxious pick. That aside, (all of) Ectoplasm's voices were rather pleasant. Perhaps he'd drank his beer a bit too preemptively.

The song ended, Thirteen clapped, and Ectoplasm looked their way. "Care for a duet? Or—" He cast a glance around at his clones, not needing to finish the sentence.

"I'll pick the next song," Thirteen leaned forward eagerly. "Would you like to sing, too, Eraser?"

"Errr…" This was starting to get illogical. He shifted his eyes uncomfortably over to the studious clones. "Getting back to the lesson plans might be preferable."

"No need to worry about that," Ectoplasm returned, sounding unbothered.

Aizawa frowned, finding this a rather lackadaisical response. On first impression, he'd thought Ectoplasm to be rather serious and logical. This, however, was challenging that impression.

Ectoplasm read his face and offered further assurance. "Give them some time. We'll get back to it after eating and some songs."

"…" Aizawa stared at him for a moment, but offered no further complaint. Well, logically, it was fine to take a little downtime after a workday… so he could reason with himself.

"Let's do this one." Thirteen finished picking their song, and then went up with Ectoplasm to sing.

Aizawa ate his meal quickly (it was excellent as Ectoplasm had claimed, though he didn't pay it close attention) as the two sang with clones as accompanying singers. A much peppier, upbeat song that played well to Thirteen's high voice. Aizawa polished his bowl just as their song ended and his second beer arrived.

"Alright, I'm ready to start again," Aizawa announced hoping to prod them along, pushing his empty bowl away from himself for emphasis. The other two teachers didn't seem to mind him as they paused to take a drink and few bites to each.

"One more song," Ectoplasm urged. "I'm just starting to feel good. Why don't you join on this one, Eraser?"

"Yeah! Pick a song. It's your turn," Thirteen encouraged as well.

He gave them a deadpan stare. "… No." They had work to do, lesson plans that had personally taken him a great many hours to create in the first place, and he was running out of the patience to come up with excuses for them.

Ectoplasm gave a bit of a sigh, sensing his mood. "There's a method to my 'madness' whether you see it yet or not… one more song, and you'll get it. Is my word good enough for you?"

Aizawa looked at him for a few moments, thinking about it. From one new colleague to another, an offer of trust and comradery in the face of ridiculous circumstances. People were so illogical. He sighed. But that was life in an illogical world. "… Fine. _One_ more." Emphasis on _one_.

Ectoplasm nodded. "Sure."

"What sort of music do you prefer?" Thirteen asked kindly.

"I don't care," Aizawa said uninterestedly, then immediately thought better of it. "Wait. Nothing annoying."

"Hmm… I'll pick something more melodic." Thirteen scrolled through the list considerately. "This one."

Fortunately, they didn't push the issue of him singing it. Aizawa watched and listened rather stone-faced as they sang again. Slower, calmer, pleasant notes. He didn't really pay too close attention, but thankfully it was not annoying as he requested. Ectoplasm especially seemed enthusiastic, his deeper voice well-suited for some long, harmonious chords with his clones. When the song ended, he seemed rather pleased.

"An excellent choice, Thirteen!" Ectoplasm enthused, stretching his neck. "That loosened everything up perfectly." His chest swelled with a full breath, and then his teeth were parting again for a much bigger wave of ghostly fog this time. Aizawa was surprised at the number of clones that formed this time. Last time it had been just three; this time it was thirteen.

"My usual limit of clones is thirty. However, when I'm in a good mood and all loosened up from some karaoke, that goes up to thirty-six," Ectoplasm stated in satisfaction sending Aizawa an expectant look.

Ah. It finally made logical sense. The growing tension coiling within him eased as the illogical events found reason. Aizawa surveyed the newly expanded group as they proceeded to pass out the blank sheets from Ectoplasm's supplied briefcase and double-up with the existing clones. The room was full of Ectoplasms now, and the large space made sense.

"Now we may resume," Ectoplasm announced, sitting down beside Aizawa and Thirteen following after him.

Without any external cue, one of the clones passed their file down to Aizawa. "Are these amendments agreeable?"

Aizawa read quickly, eyes flicking between the notes proposed across each of the pages. He paused on one and pointed. "This one…"

The discussions continued around the room with a lot of back and forth until each plan was satisfactory and handed back to a clone. The other clone was mostly silent and instead wrote. By the time the last student's file was satisfactory, most of the clones seemed to just be waiting patiently.

"Here." They passed down all of the files and the new pages to the teachers' end and into Aizawa's hands. There, he was able to see that the second clone had been compiling all of the edits into a proper, simple format to replace the previous plan. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that despite what Aizawa had perceived as a delay with the songs and dinner, they had accomplished in the span of less than hour what would have taken Aizawa several nearly sleepless nights in a row to do. Brilliant. Simply _brilliant_.

However, that begged an important follow-up question in Aizawa's mind: had Ectoplasm expected it to take so little time, and if so, why did he order a second hour for the room? Aizawa eyed the karaoke song list on the table as though it might bite him. _"It's an opportunity to get more acquainted."_ Ectoplasm's first order of business had been the same as Aizawa's—to plan for the students—but his second by his own words looked to be the goal of the second hour.

Ectoplasm reached for the karaoke mic again and Aizawa reached for his second beer. "Now that our first order of business is out of the way, let's unwind a bit."

Aizawa was done with his second beer by the time Thirteen, Ectoplasm, and Ectoplasm's backup ensemble were done with their next song. To the clone hero's credit, it really was impressive for an amateur singer to make their own full-chorus group singlehandedly, and one that sounded pretty darn good for that matter.

 _Yamada would love this,_ Aizawa thought. In fact, the man was busy this Friday night playing nonstop music on the radio right now. But Aizawa was not Yamada. No, he wasn't even close. So he grinned (not really) and bared it and ordered another beer.

The other two heroes were drinking, too, the whole affair turning into a merry outing between colleagues sans Aizawa. But that didn't stop them from trying to involve him as they sat and chatted between songs.

"I noticed there weren't any robots used in your training plan. That certainly would have been easier than taking the full training burden on yourself. Were you unable to get approval for the school resources?" Ectoplasm enquired on one such break occasion as he had a drink.

"I never asked for any in the first place," Aizawa answered flatly. "The students are used to fighting robots more than humans in their classes." He looked extremely sore about it. "It's a highly illogical holdover from as far back as my days as a student, and it does them about as much practical good as it did me. Well, politics and policy are always slow to catch up to practical need."

"You're certainly unafraid to voice your viewpoints."

"What's the point of hiding them?" Aizawa shot back.

"True, true… on that point: you aren't enjoying yourself very much, are you?"

Aizawa looked at him quickly, a little taken aback. Ectoplasm just looked at him steadily. He thought for a moment, then replied honestly. "Yeah. Not particularly."

"You aren't making any motion to leave, though."

Thirteen joined in. "It's fine to say so! These sorts of outings aren't for everyone."

"…" Aizawa glanced away, feeling oddly touched by that consideration. "… Personally, I'd gladly leave, but logically, I have reason to stay."

"Hm?" They both looked at him curiously.

Aizawa gave a bit of a sigh and looked back at them. "Not for my own sake personally, but for others." For them, they realized to their surprise. Rationally, of course. "I couldn't care less, but these sorts of things are important to individuals I value enough to get along with rather than not. So that's why I stick around." And on that note, he tilted his head back for another swig of beer.

Ectoplasm and Thirteen said nothing as they looked at him, still a bit surprised by him. It was a rather bleak, weary sort of statement on putting up with things for others at his own expense. However, that in and of itself was a rather revealing thing of his character. There was a level of caring on his part to do so no matter how bluntly it came across. Withdrawn and perhaps a bit antisocial, at the end of the day he was Pro Hero at heart, and that was respectable.

"Well then, if you're going to put up with us, you might as well go all-in."

Aizawa paused, looking over his raised glass at them with a squint as he lowered it. "I'm not singing if that's what you're asking for."

Ectoplasm leaned over, reaching under the table to where there was a bin with percussion instruments. He came up with a tambourine, holding it up expectantly with his eyes crinkled in a smile. Aizawa gave him a dead look for a moment, then sighed. "… Fine."

A half-hearted percussion beat and a first sampling of the menu's sake selection accompanied the next song. Aizawa let his mind wander off as he blandly kept time. How strange it was that he ended up in this situation. A thoroughly productive and nonsensical evening simultaneously. The weeks to come were promising, though, his eyes drifting down to the neat stack of new student training plans. Their differences in hobbies aside, he could really appreciate this efficiency. He could put up with one hour of nonsense in return for such a boon.

"Eraser, you're falling behind." Ectoplasm's voice cut through his thoughts.

He looked up. "Huh?"

"The beat, Eraser."

"Oh."

He tuned into the song again for a little bit, though soon enough his thoughts started wandering. This wasn't particularly pleasant, but it wasn't unpleasant, either. Honestly, Yamada had dragged him into worse. Ectoplasm was right about the good service, too. The sake was nice and so were the appetizers he somewhat mindlessly distracted himself with.

"You're slowing down again," Thirteen pointed out lightly.

"Perhaps you're going to fast," Aizawa deadpanned without pause.

"Ah, a slower song, then." Ectoplasm picked a new song, and they started up again.

Miraculously, he managed to keep the beat this time, though whether it was by effort or simply a wise choice of song tempo was anyone's guess. However, by the end of even this song it was clear he was falling out of sync.

Ectoplasm considered him with a look. "Hmm… you're not very good at keeping rhythm."

"I'm not musically inclined."

"It's not about musical talent but enthusiasm!" Thirteen said cheerily, looking a little affected their own drink.

"I have none of either."

"Come one, how about just one song?"

"I wouldn't recommend it."

"It's alright if you're not that great."

"I'm certainly not."

"Just give it a go!"

A heavy sigh met them that time, annoyance raising to the surface. "… _Fine_." He didn't even look at the song name as he clicked something random and finished off his fifth—no, sixth?—alcoholic beverage. Anything to get through the night.

"Oh, I like this song!"

"A fun choice."

The two of them seemed eager to finally get the trio they had been waiting for. Their excitement lasted all of the three seconds it took Aizawa to take a breath and go for the first line. They started with him enthusiastically, but staggered to a quiet stop by the third stanza.

"Uh… Eraser…" He ignored them, taking in a breath for the chorus.

"You don't have to…" They winced as he did it anyway.

"It's okay, we get the… the point." Nope. They asked for it, and dammit he was going to give it to them.

The room was filled with subdued silence as the song ended and he slumped back in his seat. Ectoplasm and Thirteen shared a look.

"… You know, the tambourine was alright."

"Yeah! The changing tempo made it interesting."

"Like a rhythm challenge."

"Meh," Aizawa started beating out a tempo with the instrument against his leg lazily despite the lack of song playing, his head leaned back towards the ceiling. "Whatever."

Ectoplasm studied him and the empty glasses. "You… can get home alright, right?"

"'Course I can." His head came forward to look back at Ectoplasm. "I don't get drunk."

"…" R _iiiight_.

By the end of the second hour, Aizawa was slumped back comfortably into the couch, still lazily beating the tambourine though irredeemably off beat at this point, and staring without expression at the ceiling. _What the hell am I doing here…?_

Thirteen and Ectoplasm laughed about something, and the sound compelled him to tilt his chin down to look at them. His eyes grazed the clock and stock on it, staring at the time. _Wait._ The tambourine beat stopped as he stared a little harder. _We've been here_ _ **three**_ _hours?_ He never even noticed Ectoplasm extend their time.

He lurched forward putting his cup and instrument down on the table. "I've gotta _go_."

"Hm?" Thirteen and Ectoplasm looked over at him, watching him shift to his feet and gather his sleeping bag and shoulder bag.

"I've gotta be there tomorrow." Words parted his lips again, but it didn't look to be to anyone in particular.

"Thanks for coming!"

"Safe travel home."

"I need to _sleep_ ," was all he said in return as he left the room with his gear in tow.

The other two teachers and the clones laughed a bit drunkenly.

"That's where he's off to in such a hurry?"

"But he does that everywhere!"

Aizawa didn't notice, drunken brain cells fixated on one single point of clarity as they guided him home on auto-pilot: _the adoption event_.

He sloshed onto the train. _I've gotta cuddle the cats._

He sank into his bed. _Hayate is tomorrow._

He fell asleep. Hard.

In the end, the evening was half-bad. But it was also half-good. So, in terms of social engagements… a win, kind of, in Aizawa's book. The night's sky curtain drew on the Dog Days of summer, and on the horizon came the promise of cats.

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 **-The 'Dog Days' of summer are the hottest period of the year coinciding with the heliacal rising of Sirius, the Dog Star.** The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the 40 days between July 3rd and August 11th, which lines up perfectly with my timeline.

 **-Hello again, everyone. Yes, I'm alive, and so is this story :D** It had a few obstacles on the way here this time. The first was that, simply, I just kept writing. And writing. And… _writing_. I was having fun with it, enjoying writing a few side characters in that rarely get canon screen time, it took longer to get to where I wanted to end it than I expected, there were some things I was writing ahead while planning future chapters, and I sort of struggled with where to cut this off. I was up to 26,000+ words when I finally found the right spot, cutting this down to a respectable 22,105 words and making the rest part of the next chapter.

Second, I had some personal stuff going on. Getting things in order to start college, preparing to move to a bigger apartment, visiting my grandma for her 82nd(!) birthday for a week, and one other thing. It's been a busy summer, and the Dog Days aren't over!

Onto that last thing. While I usually aim to bring only smiles with new chapters, today I have some sad news. June 1st 2019, I made the decision to euthanize my cat, Snickers. She had chronic kidney disease which had been ongoing for some time, but recently she declined rapidly. I came home from a lot pet sit to find my girl with three paws in the grave. I took her with me the next morning to the vet hospital where I work. We did ICU care on her there with me giving additional care at home before blood work came back and made it clear just how bad things were. The best option remaining at that point, taking her to a critical care unit, was prohibitively expensive. I decided to try home care to give her one last chance.

What followed was a full week of around the clock care – syringe feeding and drinking, administering SQ fluids, giving medications, keeping her warm, changing her bedding, and repeated nearly sleepless nights. While blood work partway through the week showed improvement, a recheck at the end of it showed a worsening in her values again. Her kidneys just couldn't keep up. There also seemed to be some unknown factor which triggered this crash based on a high white cell count and other odd levels in her blood. She was very weak, growled uncomfortably at handling or even petting, not eating or drinking at all on her own, had urinary incontinence, started walking in circles unbalanced, and had gone completely blind (kidney failure can cause this). Her odds of recovery were slim, and her quality of life was poor. I gave her the best chance I could give, but in the end this proved to be a case where she just couldn't be saved. She died in her favorite spot, curled in my lap. I took her ashes to my grandma's house, where we used them in planting a bed of wild flowers in a hollowed-out log planter one of her neighbors made for her birthday in a serendipitous twist.

My Snickers, "Snick, Snick", "Snickums", and "Snickie" was a stray that I adopted, a long-haired calico who had been born with only one green eye (the left), and her lack of depth perception showed for she was a clumsy little lady all her life. She was dog-like in her affection, greeting me at the door when I came home, always wanting to cuddle with me every waking minute of the day and night, and even coming when I called her name or snapped my fingers. She could also be a little firecracker (or a little bitch!), which she proved even in her final week by leaving me with some bite and claw scars to remember her by when placing her IV catheter, which took four tries and three people (I'm okay!). She had quirky little habits too, like only drinking water by dipping her right paw in the water bowl then licking if off her paw. I'm going to miss having my 'furry little spoon' cuddled up against me every night.

I'm sure most of you have similar things you could say about your own pets past and present and look back to smile on fondly. Getting back to the chapter, I hope Meow is the kind of story filled with the little 'feel good' moments that can make someone smile similar to that. Writing this chapter was particularly therapeutic for me given the timing. No matter how delayed the update, Meow is holding a special spot for me and I intend to see this story through to end. Thanks everyone for reading along!


	13. Hearts Grow Fonder When Apart

This chapter is a big one story-wise, so I took my time putting it together.

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 _Saturday Morning…_

Today had the worst possible timing.

Hayate set her freshly-showered sights on her closet with a sigh. _What should I wear?_

Long sleeves, of course. Her eyes settled on the lightweight sportswear she had. Simple, practical, comfortable. The natural choice. She started to flick through them out of habit, but then she stopped, biting her lip. _Aizawa's going to be there._

Her hand hovered uncertainly, eyes roaming the other choices as she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. She thought back to sitting on the bench, going unnoticed in her drab grays. _But do I even want to make an impression on him?_ The flame flickered nervously. She hadn't seen him in such a while, there was a bit of an excitement about it. But that still didn't mean it was going to go anywhere. _And today's not a good day to try, either._

Her eyes caught and settled on the sleeve of a particular shirt, and she pulled the hangers aside for it. She studied the cut of the shoulders and sleeves. _Not ideal for today._ Her eyes trailed across the floral print for a moment, then removed it from the hanger, anyway. _But I like this shirt._ She went for a drawer, pulling out a matching item of headwear. _I'll still have my hair covered. The sleeves aren't that bad. I'll just keep it suppressed._

 _All day long?_ The voice of reason chimed in the back of her head. She ignored it. _Yes. All day. I'll make it work._ She grabbed pants and shoes to go with them. _I don't need to make a huge impression or anything, but…_

She dressed and examined herself in the mirror, looking satisfied. _Just a little something other than gray._

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 _Bzzzzzzz._

The vibration of his phone felt like it rattled right through his skull.

Aizawa's closed eyes scrunched as he shifted, waking up in an unpleasant, groggy fog. _Damn._ He cracked a scratchy eye open to squint at the device, then closed it again because his head ached. _How much booze did I have?_ It was something like five, he recalled dimly. Or wait; six? It didn't matter really. His brain was just as uncomfortable either way.

He lay still for a while before forcing his eyes open again to squint at the phone. With a rousing breath, he sat up scowling and reached for his eye drops first, putting a drop in each then going for the phone.

 _10:27 am._

He stared at the time on the screen. _Damn._ He slept hard. His eyes shifted to the message which had awoken him, partially visible on the home screen. It was from Hayate with a picture attached.

 _Sorry you didn't get to see…_

His drowsy eyes sharpened a little, and he unlocked his phone. A picture of the male and female kitten came up on his phone, the pair of them in the laps of two children.

 _Sorry you didn't get to see them go. Sesame and Mona are off to their new home together with a pair of great kids. Mic's still here._

His eyes stayed on the screen for a long time, body not moving as the fog was suddenly sucked out of his aching brain. He drew in a breath, then let it out and put the phone to the side. _Okay. Get up._ He rose with a bit of urgency in his movements.

He had to be at the event at noon for the afternoon shift he'd signed up for. It would take thirty-four minutes of travel time to get to the location, leaving him with fifty-nine minutes to get ready; easily more than enough time for his usual morning routine. He'd woken up early, if anything. He could easily get there before noon. The kittens being adopted before he got there hadn't crossed his mind before when choosing the evening shift, only sleeping in, but it felt like a weight in his gut as he made his usual breakfast on swift autopilot.

As he went into the bathroom and passed by the mirror on the cabinet above the sink, his eyes flicked over to skim his appearance. He did a double-take and stopped, looking his face straight on. Normally, he couldn't care less about his appearance. But today… well, he couldn't _help_ but take notice.

" _Do you want to grab some ice?" Thirteen asked him as they regrouped to leave._

" _Ice?"_

" _For your cheek," Thirteen pointed roughly at where their own would be under the helmet. "It's bruising."_

His hand lifted to touch his left cheek reflexively. _… Should have taken them up on that._ Might have spared him a little from the bruised cheekbone and black eye that pooled above it in rather terrible contrast to his pale skin. He watched himself give a resigned hum in the mirror out of reluctant acceptance. _It was a good punch. No hiding that for the event._

He was going to pull away and keep moving, but looking at himself in the mirror properly for the first time essentially all summer made him suddenly take notice of a few other things. His eyes traveled downward from his cheek which he examined so closely to his jawline, taking notice of his stubble which was pressing onward into beard territory one stubborn millimeter at a time for he hadn't shaved at all this summer.

And noticing his facial hair made him take notice of his shaggy mane, which was now noticeably longer than shoulder length; too long for his liking, also uncut since before the start of summer break. He looked back at his eyes in the mirror, debating with his own ever-deeper eye bags hollowed out by the summer's toil and a night of heavy drinking if it was even worth the effort to get this whole unkempt look under control. All he needed was a beer in his hand right now to pull off the homeless drunk look effortlessly; well, more easily than he usually did on any given day.

But for that very reason, he concluded with a resigned hum that it probably was for the best if he tidied up a little for sake of the people he'd have to interact with at the event. Physical presentation didn't matter to _him_ , but it did to _other people._ Grooming would set him back a few minutes, but in this case, it was a logical necessity.

Out came scissors, a hair tie, and a brush. He ran the brush through his hair with more care than his usual brisk treatment and tied it in a ponytail over his face so that he could cut a satisfactory amount off in a few swift slices. Sure, no barber would have ever tagged their name with such a half-assed job, but there was a practical limit to just how much Aizawa was going to care about this whole preening business. He undid the ponytail in order to comb the remainder of his shortened mane back through his fingers into a messy bun. Good enough.

The first shave of the summer followed, and cold water splashed on his face after to rinse did wonders for shocking his sore eyes. He gave himself a look-over in the mirror when he was done. That had helped. His eyes and the bruise against his pale skin didn't, but he turned away with a mental shrug. He was clean-shaven and his hair was out of his face, so no one could say he hadn't made an effort. Well, sure, they _could_ , but not like he'd _care_.

For choice of garments, the only answer was of course 'something black', though he at least made a conscience effort to pick something without any frayed edges with a better fit than his typical baggy, 'practically pajamas' garb.

Eating his ready breakfast swiftly followed this, and with all preparations concluded, Aizawa headed for the train ahead of the scheduled time, just as logically expected.

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 _I shouldn't be doing this_. The kitten squirmed in Hayate's arms as she walked. She grabbed him by the scruff to quiet and readjust him, holding him to her shoulder. _But things didn't exactly go as planned._

Hayate pulled her phone out and checked the time anxiously. 11:35 am. Twenty-five more minutes until her lunch break began and Aizawa's afternoon shift began. Already two of the three kittens were gone. She put her phone away and stroked Mic in a self-soothing manner, continuing to walk about the area with him. It wasn't right to be holding him like this, taking away opportunities for potential adopters to interact with him, but she just couldn't stand the thought of Aizawa arriving only to find none of them left. Besides, kittens were going fast today, it would work out. She just needed to buy a little time.

She looked at her phone again. 11:38 am. Time was crawling. After thinking for a moment, she quickly texted with one hand.

 _To Aizawa: When you get here, go to the large tents. I'll be by the one marked 'kittens'._

She sent it and tucked her phone away again. It helped soothe her nerves a little. _Alright, I'll just finish final rounds on everybody, should be good to go then…_

She continued up the row with Mic still in her arms, checking in with each of the vendors and volunteer groups for any concerns. She finished one and started down the next.

"Hayate?"

A voice from behind her, male. She turned around in work mode, expecting a volunteer or vendor with a question or concern. It took half a second for her to process who she saw—thin male, wearing all-black, hands in pockets, droopy eyes—

 _Holy crap!_

" _A-Aizawa?_ " He caught her off-guard.

"Hey," he replied neutrally.

They both fell silent for a moment, looking each other over with Hayate too surprised at the sight of him there to reply at first. He hadn't been certain it was her at a distance; his brain was trained to look for someone wearing all-gray.

She wore a white blouse with three-quarter sleeves that exposed a modest amount of her chest along with all of her neck. Pink, purple, and magenta flower print up the sides of the fabric made for a splash of color. A bandana head wrap with a matching colorful pattern covered her dark purple hair, which was back in a bun save for the very front where a long strand framed her face to either side. There was a sticker name tag marking her as volunteer staff. She wore light blue jeans and white sneakers, too. No scarf or gloves, clothes fitted and colorful instead of drab scrubs, exposed skin of her neck, hair out; if it weren't for catching a glimpse of her familiar face and the mustached kitten, his eyes would have passed her over for someone else.

Simultaneously, Hayate looked him over in surprise. _He shaved._ Had he ever done that in the months she'd seen him? It made him look younger. And his hair was back in a loose bun. With no Capturing Weapon in sight, his neck and the notch of his collarbone were exposed by his V-neck shirt with three-quarter sleeves. It was black, of course, as were his pants and shoes, but compared to his usual wear, everything was fitted and looked newer than his usually baggy and worn-out garb. It all made him look… sleeker. More defined. He looked… _better._

Save for the awful bruise on the left side of his face, and his hollow eyes! Had he not slept a single wink all summer? _How is it possible for someone to look better and worse at the same time?!_

She smiled at him, stuffing down a sudden surge of nervous energy with a swallow. "You're here early! It's good to see you, finally."

He looked back at her eyes. "Yeah, it's been a while… I got your text earlier. Figured I might as well."

Her smile died out. "Oh, right…" Of course, the reason he was here. Her expression softened; a bit bittersweet. "Sesame and Mona… well, I guess you never got their names before now. They were always cuddlier with each other than they were Mic, so it was kind of perfect they were homed together. The kids were really gentle with them, and the parents were responsible and planning for two cats… it was a great match."

"That's good." And it really was. Getting a permanent home was the best, most logical solution for their well-being; his personal desire to see them was inconsequential comparatively. Aizawa's eyes shifted to the kitten melted into her shoulder, held in place with one hand.

Hayate followed his eyes and immediately brightened up. "Oh! But Mic's still here. Uh, obviously." She shifted him quickly, and the kitten stirred and flailed his limbs in protest. She held him out to Aizawa with one hand supporting his rump and the under his chest.

"Meeeow," he voiced in opposition to being stripped from his comfortable shoulder pillow, but Hayate just grinned, watching over Mic's head as Aizawa's bland, tired features relaxed and opened up into a faint smile. His hands came out of his pockets to accept the feline offering, and Hayate tried not to hold her breath as his fingers brushed hers during the exchange. His skin was rough and warm from being in his pockets.

Aizawa held the kitten close, and Mic seemed enthused to be in familiar arms that had been absent for a few weeks now. His claws came out to scramble up and tuck under Aizawa's chin like he used to do when climbing into the coils of the Capturing Weapon. Aizawa's hands supported him in his climb to spare his own shirt and skin from the little toe daggers, and when the kitten settled, his hands remained around him. Aizawa tucked his chin slightly to look at the kitten's back, sizing him up.

"… Bigger than I remember."

"Heh, with the way he eats, one of these days he's not going to be a runt anymore." Hayate watched him pet Mic with a smile. A cute kitten with an unexpectedly nicer-than-usual looking man—her nerves weren't settling as she studied him. _I didn't think I'd feel like_ _this_ _seeing him again… he really took me by surprise._ She looked away and cleared her throat slightly, uncertain of what to do about it at the moment.

"I'm just doing a last check-in with everyone before lunch. You can come with me, and I'll show you around and where you'll be."

"Sure," he nodded but didn't look up from the kitten, his expression content.

Hayate turned and Aizawa followed falling into step beside her with her leading the way. The event was being held in a large park in Musutafu. It was a brilliant summer day in the eighties but with a breeze that made the scant clouds race overhead. There were rows of tarps for venders and covering the dogs, each divided by section. Two large and long tents housed the cats, one for kittens and the other for adults. Venders included pet supplies, pet fostering, independent rescue groups, dog training class info, and veterinary resources in addition to food. Hayate stopped by each for a quick update saving the cat tents for last.

Aizawa was mute during this process so as to not interfere, simply observing and listening while petting Mic and adjusting him as necessary when he tried to climb away to look around, which was certainly not a hard job and quite a welcomed relief after the summer he'd been having. Every time she finished with a vendor or volunteer check-in, she'd look over at him and the kitten to smile. She'd tell him something about the vendor, or point out the name and personality of a particular dog she liked. It seemed she knew a little about each of them as an event organizer. He didn't have much to say about a lot of it, but he listened. He could tell she wanted to talk with him from the eagerness in her eyes each time. He started to watch her without thinking. Anticipate her.

His interest picked up when they reached the adult cat tent. Some thought spurred her to quicken her step, shooting him an excited glance. He followed, not sure what to expect. Hayate led him to one of the cat cages.

"Look familiar?" She asked, watching him expectantly as she stood next to the cage and drew his attention to the cat inside.

Aizawa looked and thought. A big, gray, loafing cat with its eyes closed. Male, according to the sign. Named Mo. _Hmm…_ Why would this cat be familiar?

Hayate could tell from the blank set of his eyes that he hadn't made the connection, and her enthusiasm turned teasing. "Oh, come on. You had him wrapped like a burrito just a few weeks ago."

"Oh. I caught this cat?" Must have been at the TNR. He wracked his brain a little more and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Guess I don't remember him."

Hayate laughed. "Aww, poor Mo." The cat's eyes opened, head swiveling to look at her. Aizawa saw his round dish face and pale green eyes, and finally it dawned on him.

" _Oh._ That gray tomcat. The noisy one."

"That's the one," Hayate confirmed, opening the cage. "You jumped off a roof to catch him." She extended a hand in for Mo to sniff, and then he rubbed against her fingers leaning into the chin scratch. "He's a big lover and a glutton for treats. I bet he was probably a stray who liked to come up to everyone in the neighborhood to get handouts."

She kept petting Mo, and Aizawa watched her in silence feeling oddly warm. She bothered to show him this. He watched more intently than he realized, studying the profile of her smiling face as she looked at the happy cat. Oddly warm. Well, it was hot out this summer.

Hayate glanced backed at him and caught his eyes. She was startled to see his eyes fixed on her and not the cat like she expected. She could feel her face starting to flush, so she looked quickly back at the cat and gave a chuckle to hide her nerves. "Heheh, he's just as noisy as you remember, too. Whenever he's hungry, he's gotta tell us all about his woes. Oh—and for the other cats you caught; most of them were too feral for adoption, like Grumps, so they were released. The kittens from that feral mother are being fostered though. They're young enough to be tamed pretty easily, so they can be adopted later."

"… That's good." His eyes didn't move away from her.

"Uh-huh, we'll get a few of them off the streets, thanks to you." She pulled her hand out of the kennel closed it and glanced up at him with a smile. Upon finding him still looking at her, the butterflies in her gut did a flip and she quickly looked away and started moving. "Heheh, come on! There are other cute cats around here, too."

He stood still and watched her go for a few moments, eyes on the backs of her bare shoulders and neck. Warm… _I'm happy to see her._ Huh. That was uncommon for anyone. He followed after her again, mulling over the feeling.

She led him through the rest of the tent checking in the volunteer teams and pointing out numerous cats, all of them cute as promised. Coming early was really turning out to be worth his while. Even more so as they exited the first tent and started heading to the second.

"Kitten season is in full swing right now, so there's a lot of them. They're also the most popular," Hayate supplied as they stepped inside, and Aizawa confirmed this assessment with the noticeably more crowded interior. The hundred-plus kittens at the event balanced out the noise and the people, at least. He followed her through a few more check-ins before Hayate approached an older woman volunteer sitting in a cloth folding chair.

"This is Fujino-san. She'll be the lead for the area you'll be in," Hayate introduced.

Fujino-san, a grandmotherly-looking woman in her seventies, gave a warm smile at Aizawa. "Hello there, you must be Aizawa-san."

"Yeah," he replied, "Hello."

Her eyes set upon the kitten snuggled into Aizawa's chest. "And I see you found Mic! Hayate-san's told me all about how he's such a special little kitten to you," her eyes shifted over to Hayate in confirmation, and Aizawa's followed.

Hayate looked embarrassed. "Uh, that you named him, and pet him at the train. You know, to explain why you were coming and needed to be placed with this particular kitten."

"I think it's simply wonderful. You're a kind young man," Fujino continued to gush warmly with her eyes shifting back to Aizawa.

"Uh… sure," Aizawa looked caught off-guard. The grandmother vibes coming from this lady were palatable.

"Heheh, yeah, so, you two will be working together. Just follow Fujino-san's lead around here and you'll be set. I arranged it so Mic's here in this section, so he can stay with you, too," Hayate continued smoothing over Aizawa's lack of tact. She shifted a little to face Aizawa directly. "I can't stay with you the whole time, but I'll be around fairly often. Towards the end, I'll be around more."

It made logical sense, of course. An overseer of the whole event couldn't spend their time babysitting one volunteer and a kitten. He nodded. "No worries. I'll be fine."

"Right," she smiled, nodding back. For a moment, she hesitated in silence. "I… uh, thanks for coming, Aizawa-san. I'm glad to see you."

"Yeah, it's been a while." For a moment, he thought to leave it at that, then another thought drove him to add, his eyes flicking away, "… Morning commute's been a little dull without you around."

"Oh! Well I'm glad I'm not boring, hahahah!" She cringed internally. _Not boring? That was the best response I could think of?_ "Well, uh, I'll see you around." Hayate waved and quickly turned away to hid her grimace.

It made logical sense for her to leave, of course. The adoption event was a matter of business more than pleasure, after all… Aizawa still watched her go, though. That felt about as fleeting as their morning commutes, of which they were sorely behind on. And for some reason, she seemed a little out of sorts; a bit on-edge. He pondered about it until her back was obscured by the crowd, then he dismissed it without anything conclusive and shifted his eyes back towards Fujino-san. He blinked when he found her looking at him steadily with a smile fixed to her lips, having observed the exchanged.

He cleared his throat. "… So, what's first?"

Fujino gave a chuckle and got up out of her chair. "Well now, how about we get you introduced to all of the kittens." Aizawa followed her lead as she turned to the felines in their section…

As she moved away into the crowd, Hayate shook her arms as if to shrug off the antsy feeling in her gut. _What the heck! First time I see him in weeks, he shaves and puts on a nice shirt and now I'm an anxious mess!_ She took in a deep collecting breath and let it out in a sigh. _Come on, it's just the same scruffy ol'Aizawa you're used to… just a little groomed. That doesn't make him a better match or anything… That's why we're here. We're going to trying to figure that out. Just gotta make sure he's a good person. I mean, obviously he's a_ _good_ _person; a good fit of a person! And then we can decide if he's just a friend, or maybe more. So stay calm, and reasonable, and figure it out. Just chill out._ _Chill out_ _._

She sucked in another breath to fill her chest and squared her shoulders, trying to look as confident as she hoped to feel. The motion made an uncomfortable prickle run down from her armpits through her skin; the warning sign of the first tingling ache to come. A shadow of annoyance crossed her face as she pinned her arms to her sides a little to fend against it. _And of course,_ _you_ _aren't helping. Just_ _have_ _to be here to complicate things with him._

Hayate took out her phone, checking the time: _11:58 am. Five hours._ She put her phone away, veering to a food stand. _Have to give it a break._ The bento she picked was chosen without enthusiasm, almost at random. Immediately, she moved away from all the bustle of the event and to the grass under a tree in isolation. Hayate sat down with her meal and settled back against the tree, letting go of the focus of the last five hours. The annoyance which had creased her brow smoothed out at the relief of her skin relaxing, like a pleasant shiver starting at her scalp and rushing down her spine cascading through all her pores. She leaned against the tree with her eyes closed for a few moments appreciating the feeling before she opened them again and turned to her bento.

She ate while watching the activities of the event from afar. Her mind was quiet in observation until she finished and put the box to the side. And then, sitting alone under the tree in silence, she began to fidget. Pulling out her phone, she checked the time. _12:12 pm_. It felt like she ate too fast. Now it was just going to be sitting here for the next eighteen minutes. She put her phone away and let out a breath puffing her cheeks and looking around. _I know I need to give it a rest, but…_ Her eyes settled on the kitten tent in the distance.

She looked at it for a bit, deliberating. The phone came out again. _12:13 pm._ The phone was put away again, and Hayate occupied her hands by lightly massaging her skin, her eyes shifting to the tent again. _Just a little more time…_ And in the meantime, she wondered? What was he doing? How was Mic? _What was she missing out on?_ It was that last thought that stuck the most, and she stopped rubbing her skin, eyes pinned on the tent with her body still like a statue. Suddenly, she rose, gathered the remains of her bento box, and started walking back towards the tent.

Meanwhile, Aizawa had quickly discerned why Hayate had arranged things for him to be under Fujino's lead. The old lady more than made up for his lack of social presence and warmth even at first glance. And on the other end, he'd soon realized that the senior woman was sitting as much out of necessity as for comfort when she stood.

"You should pull your shoulders back, Aizawa-san. Your back looks worse than mine," Fujino pointed out with a chuckle as he followed her over to the kitten cages, comparing his characteristic slouch to her own weak-backed stoop.

"Hm." A fair point in this side-by-side comparison he conceded with a roll of his shoulders, pulling his spine up and back though his hands remained in his pockets. Worse posture than an old lady with back issues wouldn't help his homeless drunk case at all.

"We'll be taking care of all the kittens in this area," Fujino gestured with a sweep of her hand to the cages behind her chair.

The kitten tent had been divided up in such a way that facilitated meeting the kittens directly without disrupting the main flow of traffic through the tent. Cages were arranged in units surrounding on three sides a circular metal fold-up pen. Traffic flowed around the circular pen to see all the kittens and rejoined the main flow of traffic on the open side, then on into the next unit. When someone wanted to interact with a kitten, the volunteer would take the chosen little feline out and join them and the interested person in the pen for play-time and hands-on interaction. With two volunteers ideally assigned to each unit, one could focus on talking to interested adopters while the other was overseeing hands-on time in the pen. And with three to five kittens per cage, and the cages stacked for efficiency… oh boy. That was a lot of kittens to keep tabs of.

He followed her slow lead around the loop. "Every kitten has their info on the cage," She lifted the sheets pinned to a cage for one of the kittens, "You'll get familiar with them by reading them over. And each of them has their own name tag." She paused to slip her fingers through the bars of the cages to the kittens crowding up and squealing for attention, drawing his focus to the paper name tags they all had on. He took notice of the slight tremble of Fujino's hand, as well.

The division of labor Hayate had set up for him was obvious and straightforward; the sweet, grandmotherly Fujino took the lead on handling the people, and he took care of everything else she needed of him in a physical capacity while passing social interactions with bare minimum grace at best. Nice and logical. They quickly started to figure out a rhythm of their own accordingly with Fujino's grandmotherly charisma and Aizawa's quiet usefulness. This seemed a pleasing arrangement to all save for one.

"Meeeow!" Mic dashed to the side of the cage, yelling at Aizawa as he passed him by. Aizawa shot him a glance but had to keep moving. Mic waited for him to pass by again, sticking his arm out to try and grab his shirt sleeve. "Meeeoow!" Aizawa paused this time, teasing his paw with his fingers, then carried on. " _Meeeooow!_ " Mic dashed to the other side of the cage to follow him, undeterred. Aizawa made a face but didn't look back, hearing him loud and clear but proceeding on with his tasks. Fujino laughed behind him from her chair.

"Oh, give him some love, Aizawa-san! You can take a minute."

He sighed and looked back this time, eyes shifting between the kitten and Fujino. "If I give him a minute, he'll want an hour." He still moved over to the cage though and opened the door, letting the loud kitten scramble up into his arms. Aizawa gathered him up while Fujino smiled, recognizing the care he felt for the cat.

"It seems to me like he's picked where he wants to be." Aizawa looked up at that comment. "Sometimes volunteers end up going home with animals, too."

He held Fujino's kind gaze for a moment then grunted indifferently and looked back at Mic. "Not the first time I've heard that lately," he mumbled, rubbing the kitten's cheeks.

Fujino's smile retracted a bit. "… You don't want to adopt him, though?"

"Eh, it's not that so much as he's not really the cat for my lifestyle. He needs more than that." Aizawa held the kitten up around the armpits, looking him in the eyes. "He's very needy."

"Meow," Mic seemed to agree, squirming until Aizawa returned him to his shoulder.

Fujino gave an understanding nod. "That's a good thing to recognize, too. I used to take in kittens all the time for fostering. These days, it's just not my speed, anymore. I still like to feed the neighborhood cats though, and let them inside when they want to come in. It keeps me from getting lonely."

Aizawa looked back over to her. "… You live alone, I take it?"

"Yes, last three years now, since my husband passed. My son lives in Okayama, so I don't see him or my grandson very much. It's just me and the cats, and getting to meet people at events like this."

"… I see." It was unfortunate but not too uncommon for isolating circumstanced like that to arise for the older generation of Japan. At least in her case, it sounded to him like she found what she needed in taking care of the animals in her life.

Aizawa and Fujino's attention was drawn to a new family that shifted into their area: a man and a woman with a little boy. The boy looked to be about five or six and clung to his mother's hand and hip like a burr.

"Look, Taro. This one's white. Do you like her?" His mother pointed at a kitten. "Can you see her name tag?" He didn't seem responsive to her attempt to garner his interest. His eyes looked over the cages, but he neither focused on anything in particular nor moved closer with his expression remaining unchanged. His free hand stayed up by his head continuously rubbing at and covering his ear.

The father leaned forward too, putting two fingers through the bars of the cage to scratch the kitten's chin and hook her name tag and tilt it towards his son. "Can you read that, Taro? Mo—chi? Her name is Mochi. You like mochi, right?"

The look on his parents' faces shifted to one of weary defeat when he was unresponsive, both of them pulling away from the cage and leaning close to speak to each other in hushed tones.

" _He's not interested in any of them… too soon… too much…"_

The scene didn't escape Aizawa or Fujino's notice. "Hellooo!" The parents looked away from each other as Fujino greeted them.

"Oh, hello," they returned, hiding the looks of mild distress from moments ago with smiles of their own.

Fujino's eyes lowered to the little one at their side, her expression warm and motherly. "Hello, dear. Are you liking the kittens?"

His gaze shied away from hers and dropped to the grass, his body pulling behind his mother a little. She looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, he doesn't mean to offend, Taro doesn't speak much…"

"Oh don't worry yourself! That's quite alright to be a little shy…"

Aizawa stayed where he was, holding Mic against his chest while watching on and listening as Fujino drew in and warmly engaged the family. He glossed over the formalities and small talk and picked out the most important information.

" _Last month, we had to put down our family cat, Saki. Taro loved Saki. She slept next to his crib when he was little and was always so patient with him. I'm not sure he gets that she's gone yet. He's so upset about not seeing her. We hoped getting another cat would help so we came here. We read an adult cat or an older kitten might be better, but he wasn't interested in anything… so we figured we might as well try the younger ones, too."_

That was a tough one. Aizawa shifted his eyes to the kid, who had started to dig his toe in circles in the dirt along with the rubbing of his ear upon having to stand still for the adults. He didn't really have a great solution in mind for an emotional situation like that. An attempt of some sort was within his capabilities, though.

He stepped forward quietly passing by Fujino as she continued chatting with the parents and stopped beside the mother on the side Taro stood at. If the boy didn't want to go up the cats, perhaps bring the cats up to him. Aizawa crouched slowly, pulling Mic away from his shoulder and holding him in his hands facing the boy. Aizawa watched his eyes fix on the kitten placed at eye-level right in front of him. Mic wiggled a little, looking around.

"Meeeeow!" Mic's loud, distinctive yell seemed to cut through all the background noise of the event around them. The free hand Taro cuffed around his ear paused its constant shifting, and his toe stopped circling.

He stared at the kitten and was still, and Aizawa, observing this over the top of Mic's head, offered quietly. "This is Mic. You can pet him."

Aizawa's voice seemed to disrupt whatever focus the boy had gained for he gave a little jolt. He looked up, caught Aizawa's eyes for half a second, and then dropped his eyes away with the rubbing of his ear and circling of his toe resuming. Aizawa waited for some kind of further response, but the boy wouldn't look up again. His parents at least noticed the effort, looking thankful and sympathetic.

"Thank you. It's just so busy around here, I think it's too much stimulation for him."

"Another day might be better. It's quieter at the shelter on a weekday, perhaps you could try to bring him then…"

Aizawa remained knelt by the boy, thinking and observing him. "Meeeow!" Mic squirmed and called out again. Aizawa watched Taro's eyes lift back to the kitten, his hand and foot slowing. Aizawa held the kitten there a bit longer to gauge the boy's reaction, who kept his eyes on the kitten without looking away, though not trying to reach for him, either. _Hm._ He stood up slowly and stepped back but kept watching the kid. Aizawa didn't shift Mic back to his shoulder on purpose, leaving him suspended in the air to yell in protest and squirm some more. Taro's eyes followed the kitten as Aizawa stood and moved away, back around Fujino and to the other side of the family opposite the boy, and this didn't go unnoticed.

 _Hmm…_ So, the kid didn't want to interact, but he was still focused on the cat. It wasn't disinterest that was the problem. That was some sort of progress. Maybe. Aizawa had to think for a minute to figure out what to do with that information, but his eyes flicked over to the hands-on pen. There were various cat toys inside.

He stepped into the pen and put Mic down then took a seat cross-legged on the grass on the far side of the pen facing the family. Picking up a cat wand tipped with a mouse-and-feather toy, he proceeded to flick it this way and that keeping watch over the boy from the corner of his eye. Taro was still watching Mic, the ear rubbing and toe circling slowing down a lot with his focus on the kitten. Mic, of course, put on quite a dramatic show of leaping and pouncing after the toy immediately, bouncing around the pen. Aizawa kept playing quietly keeping an eye on the boy while entertaining the kitten. Taro's attention was holding steady, which he took to be a positive sign.

"Oh look, Taro's watching…" Aizawa's eyes flicked up briefly as the parents noticed their son's attention then returned to the boy and the kitten. Fujino and the parents went quiet for a turn of pace, watching the boy's interest, which seemed to instill a mixture of hope and relief in the parents for him to be focused on something at last.

Aizawa played with the kitten for a bit longer then his eyes flicked up to the parents again, offering quietly, "Do you want to bring him in?"

They looked at each other for a moment of unspoken deliberation, then the mother nodded. "He's watching… yes, let's go ahead and try."

The father undid the latches on the door and the three of them stepped inside while Fujino watched from the outside with a smile. The parents knelt down. The mother tried to coax Taro to do so as well, but he went stiff and refused with a shake of the arm he still held her hand with, so she relented and let him stand between the two of them. They stayed quiet, their eyes flicking between their son and the kitten to gauge his reaction as a minute, then two passed by. Taro's expression didn't reveal much, but his eyes didn't leave the kitten. Though his hand still rubbed his ear slowly, his foot had stopped moving altogether.

It was both something and nothing much at all that was happening was Aizawa's assessment, with no clear advancement of the boy's interest. He looked at him and thought for a while, not sure what to do with no clear best course of action. He watched the boy a little too much, for Mic outwitted him and snagged the toy. It gained tension on his claw before getting loose, springing away. The toy hit lightly against Taro's pant leg then fell to his feet with the string draped across his shoe. Aizawa nearly pulled the toy back reflexively for the action had been unintentional, but he stopped himself just as quickly when he saw Taro react, the hand by his ear pulling away quickly.

He left the toy where it was as Taro's hand hovered in the air, his eyes staring down at his feet at the kitten who came bounding over to pounce on the toy. Mic proceeded to 'kill' it, pawing all around and on top of Taro's shoes. His parents held their breath and Aizawa held the cat wand slackened, observing expectantly. Mic rolled up in a ball around the toy to chew at the feather, his back against the toes of Taro's shoes. The boy's hand remained in the air by his head, his fingers flexing and un-flexing like he was thinking.

Then, slowly and a bit awkwardly, he extended his arm straight out and bent at the hip to bring his hand down to the kitten. He patted Mic on the shoulder with a flat hand then started a slow pet down his back. His hand lifted up and hovered in the air for a moment then he repeated in the same slow manner down Mic's back. The kitten didn't pay attention to this at first with his full intent on attacking the toy, and the parents shared an ecstatic look between themselves as their son kept petting the kitten.

When Mic did finally pause to spit out a bit of mangled feather, his head craned around to look at the hand stroking down his back. "Meow." Taro finished the pet and his hand hovered up in the air. Mic looked at it and suddenly scampered up. He came up to the boy's hand to sniff it, then yelled. "Meow!" Taro moved his hand slowly again in the same manner, and Mic spun to follow under it. "Meow!"

The mother chuckled quietly. "He's so noisy!"

Aizawa nodded a little, a relaxed look on his face as he watched Taro start to gradually settle down into a crouch as he pet Mic. "He likes the attention."

Taro tugged the hand that his mother held and she looked over quickly then let go. He pulled his second hand down to Mic and pet him with both, squishing up his fur in different directions.

"Remember to pet nicely, Taro. Kitties don't like rough pets."

"He's used to all kinds of teasing," Aizawa supplied, looking unbothered. "By me, and he's the runt from a litter of three."

Mic looked quite unperturbed by the two-handed pets which ruffled his fur up all over. One of Taro's hands left the fur and moved down to the toy still draped over his shoes, plucking it up by the string and dangling it in front of the kitten's nose. Mic swatted at it and the game was on again. He quickly captured it and Taro dropped it, toy pulled from his fingers. He picked it up by the string again to tug on it with Mic holding on.

Silently, Aizawa turned the cat wand around in his hand and reached out slowly holding the handle out to Taro. When it passed in front of his eyes, he paused a little, but his eyes never looked up to acknowledge Aizawa. He grabbed the handle and Aizawa let go, returning his freed hand to his lap alongside his other one. He sat still and watched silently as the boy played with the kitten. Taro hadn't spoken a word and his expression hadn't changed much, but there was a focused set to his eyes as he swung the cat wand that Aizawa was satisfied to see.

"What's his name, again?"

Aizawa's eyes flicked down to the kitten at her question. He was on his back rabbit-kicking the toy while he chewed on the string, his mustached lips curled up to one side. Aizawa's own lips shifted back in a faint smile.

"… Mic."

She looked over at her husband with a smile. "Well… I think I know what our new cat's name is." He smiled and nodded, their eyes going down together to their son.

"No need to get up," Fujino spoke up for the first time in a while having snuck off to preemptively prepare some adoption documents and attach them to a clipboard, which she extended to the husband from the other side of the fence. "Let them play a little longer."

Grateful, the parents did just that while Taro and Mic played and Aizawa stayed seated where he was watching them. It was when they finished that Aizawa finally got up to go get one of the cardboard adoption boxes and Fujino handled the rest of the documentation. The very last thing they saved was perhaps the hardest part.

Aizawa scooped up Mic from off the ground, ending the playtime. He paused to hold the kitten up face-to-face for one final time. "Behave yourself." Then he gave him a teasing pet on the nose with a finger before putting him in the box. Taro's eyes didn't leave Mic, and when the kitten was tucked away in the box out of sight, for the first time he made a noise, an indistinct sound of distress that his mother was quick to address.

"It's okay, Taro, we're taking Mic home! He's coming home in the box. Look, you can see him through the holes." She pointed out the air holes in the box and he scooted closer to peer into them and she looked a little relieved that he seemed calm again with that. When she picked up the box by the handle, he put a hand on top of hers and stood up with the box as she lifted it, and his other hand he put around the side of the box to keep it close with his fingers still clenched around—oh. _The toy_.

The mother realized it was there still. "Oh! Taro, um, the toy—"

"Keep it." Fujino and Aizawa turned their heads at the return of a familiar voice. Hayate smiled, stepping forward into the area. "Adoption gift from us."

Relief filled the mother's face again. "Thank you!" Her eyes went back to Fujino and Aizawa, settling on him as she gave a quick bow. "Thank you so much!"

He didn't say anything in reply, though a subtle smile held on his lips as he nodded at them and brought his hands into his pockets with his eyes flicking back to Hayate. Hayate came up beside him as the family left and his eyes settled on her after watching their backs go.

"When did you get here?" He asked quietly.

"Since you were over there," she gestured over at the area he'd been standing near Taro outside the pen. "I was just watching from the edge of the kennels; not surprised you didn't notice me, you looked pretty focused. I finished eating kind of early, so I figured I'd come back here for the rest of my lunch break."

'To talk with you' she didn't say, but he filled in the blank. "Oh. We didn't get to chat like you expected, then."

She shook her head. "No, no, it's completely fine. That was… worth a lot more." Hayate looked over at him smiling. "… Kind of bittersweet seeing Mic go, huh?"

"Have to see them off, sometime." Aizawa brushed it off, but Hayate had been watching the subtle, honest smile on his face inside the hands-on pen for much too long to buy his indifference.

"That was the first time you played with cat toys with Mic, too."

"Huh, yeah, I guess it was."

"… Last time, too."

"Eh, the kid's got it from here. Mic'll get plenty of attention."

"… I know you're just going to say something like 'it was just the logical thing to do for them' but... That was very kind." He looked over at her, finding an earnest smile aimed at him. The look in her eyes as they met his, conveying quiet admiration, made a warm spot spring up in his chest.

He looked away feigning indifference, mumbling, "Well… it _was_ the logical thing to do."

Her smile broadened to one side, shifting into a smirk. "You act tough, but you really are a big softie, aren't you?"

He frowned. "I am not."

" _Uuuh_ -huh."

He flicked a disgruntled glance her way. "I'm not soft."

She leaned closer, lifting a hand to his arm with a suddenly playful and light press on his bicep. "Not on the outside, obviously, hahah!"

He blinked at her, his eyes flicking to her hand and then to her face a few times blankly. Hayate seemed to freeze up a little, her laugh going quiet. Oh shit. His arm was really hard. Just a bundle of compact muscle. She lifted it away from him awkwardly. "Eheh, that's a good thing, I mean, it's what makes you good a hero, I think, being strong and kind, that's what I mean…"

He kept staring at her without comment, and Hayate cleared her throat and tucked her hands halfway into her pockets.

"Well, uh, my lunch break's over so I'm gonna go, again, eheheh…! I'll see you around, again."

She turned away suddenly and started walking, hiding her grimace and mouthing a silent cry on her lips. _That was so bad!_

Aizawa watched her go with a flicker of confusion crossing his face. "Uh, right…" That had been sudden. Again. His eyes flicked down to his arm where she had touched him and then up to her back receding into the crowd. That was the first time she had ever made a move to touch him… There was just something off about her today, but he couldn't quite put a label on it. Clumsy? Stiff? No… awkward? He rubbed his arm and thought about it as he turned his attention back to the adoption event, a new string of families circling into the loop…

Hayate exited the tent and took in a breath, looking up at the sky and walking slowly as she thought.

"… _What are you going to do?"_

" _Expel the ones not making the cut."_

" _It isn't worth my time."_

" _I won't be the one responsible for giving them the false confidence that gets them_ _killed_ _."_

" _You want my job or something, Hayate? You seem to have a lot of ideas better than mine."_

It felt like that conversation had taken place longer ago than just three weeks. He had meant for his final words to hurt. And they did. His harshness, cold realism, and reactionary remarks weren't a pleasant angle to see him from. It had made her interest in him waiver.

And then entered a little boy in need. She saw the concentrated set of his brow as he worked out how to help him. She took notice of the faint smile he gained when he saw that he had succeeded. And she watched him say goodbye to the kitten that had a special to him without hesitation. He had been visibly kind, his approach was patient, and he hadn't given up for the sake of a struggling child.

This was the same Aizawa who had told her he was expelling his students for their own good and intentionally cut her with words when she disagreed with his approach. That side of him had been unpleasant to see. _It made me wary of my feelings._ But this side reminded her of the better qualities he had showed her at the TNR and in their everyday conversations. _I was too quick to judge him… again._ Nobody was perfect. One look of his negative side shouldn't outweigh all the good qualities she'd seen in him. The flame that had cooled by a degree and flickered with nervousness and uncertainty grew, strengthening and brightening. Hayate picked up the pace, looking forward with a renewed eagerness in her eyes. It was just in time for a pinching ache to creep down her sides from under her arms.

Her lips pursed a little at the feeling. _I shouldn't have skipped that break._ _But if I hadn't… I would have missed out on seeing something much more important._ She smiled and squared her shoulders. _I'll definitely make it work...!_

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

The rest of the event passed as Hayate had said it would with the two of them being apart most of the time. Her visits were brief, just a few minutes, and then she was gone again to attend to her responsibilities. But every time that she did check-in, Aizawa found her eyes bright and lips eager for conversation as she sought him out. It barely mattered what they talked about to him—this or that about a cat or some other element of the adoption event—but the enthusiasm she brought with her every appearance stuck with him. By the end of the day, he was almost checking over his shoulder for her. In a good way.

The event ended at 3 pm with an additional hour afterwards assigned to volunteers for teardown and transporting the remaining animals away. She found him again at this time and stayed much closer just as promised to take Fujino's place in working together tearing down that section. During this process, the pair took notice of a few things about each other.

Hayate shamelessly watched him with a furtive, sidelong stare as he lifted multiple cages without obvious effort. _It's ridiculous how thin he looks for his actual strength._ Her eyes traced the outline of his muscles in action. _Wiry. Compact._ Her eyes shifted up past his sturdy shoulders to the muscles flexing beneath the bare skin of his neck and carried onward to his sharp jawline. _… More attractive than I used to give him credit for._ The baggy clothes, his shaggy mane, and the Capturing Weapon just always covered it up. He glanced her way and she quickly looked away before he could catch her.

He looked her up and down from time to time, studying her form with a slight frown. Hayate looked… _tense_. She shifted with restraint between physical positions, grabbed things carefully as if shying from applying pressure to them, and kept her arms close and shoulders tight. He hadn't noticed such a thing at the TNR where she carried cages easily, yet here held them gingerly, nor at any other occasion. But if he were to suppose a label for the cause of what he saw, his first guess would be—

 _Pain._ Hayate kept her jaw clenched and lips thinned at the tenderness of her skin where the metal bars of cages pressed their weight into her fingers. The repetitive shifting of her underarms and pressure on the soles of her feet when she walked had become a background source of irritation.

 _At least I've got a distraction_ , she thought wryly, sending another look Aizawa's way. Her heart gave a little leap when she met his eyes looking at her already. A smile sprung to her lips on nervous reflex more than anything. _He was looking at me?_

He acknowledged the look with a faint nod then looked away, and Hayate let out her breath with a puff. _Can't wait for this to be over. Maybe we can talk alone, then._ All this popping in for a minute just to leave him again alongside her growing uncomfortableness was wearing on her nerves.

Her desire was granted at the very end of the day when the opportunity to get into the same vehicle presented itself, and she swooped in on it. Hayate took the driver's seat of a loaded Musutafu Animal Shelter van as an authorized event driver and Aizawa the passenger's. She settled her tender hands gingerly around the wheel. Unbeknownst to her for her eyes were on the road, Aizawa observed this from where he slouched lazily against the door. She shot a glance his way with a smile as she drove.

"It's been a pretty busy day, huh?"

"Mm… yeah."

"You and Fujino-san seemed to work well together."

"Hard not to get along with someone like that." His eyes shifted away. "… Thanks, for that."

Hayate sent a brief glance his way. "That?"

"You could have paired me anyone today." He was resting his head against the window. "It was a logical decision. That was nice." His hangover headache, still lingering on in the weeks of overwork, certainly thanked her for the streamlined process.

Her, logical? Coming from the physical embodiment of rationality itself that was high enough praise to make her cheeks tint. She adjusted her nervous hands on the steering wheel and smiled with a chuckle. "Heheh, it was no problem at all! I'm glad it worked out for you both."

There was that nervous chuckle again. His eyes settled back on her shifting hands with a studious squint. "… You've seemed tense today. Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" The question caught her off-guard, and she stiffened. He didn't say anything, just observing her impassively.

… _Yes. Something is wrong._ She made herself relax, though her hands stayed firm on the wheel. _But I'm not going to let it get in the way._

"… Oh, it's just something personal. Don't worry about it."

Aizawa kept looking at her but he didn't offer with further comment. _I'd like to keep it private_ he heard clearly, and that was enough of an answer on the issue to satisfy him into respectful silence, closing his eyes and resting further against the window.

Hayate's eyes flicked his way anxiously a few times in the ensuing silence. "… Hey, uh, it's kind of late for a coffee, so, I was thinking… when we're done here, want to get something to eat instead?"

"Hm, sure." It was going to be late enough for dinner by then.

She smiled eagerly. "Where do you want to eat?"

He didn't even open his eyes. "So long as it isn't a karaoke bar, I don't care."

"Uh—what?"

"Nothing. What do you want to eat?"

"Hmm, I'm not that picky, either… how about teriyaki?"

"Fine."

"I know a place that's close to the shelter, we can walk there."

Arriving at the shelter, they began the unloading process of their van and then the loads from other vehicles that had arrived. Hayate's duties as a lead were more extensive than Aizawa's, so the pair split up again. When the animals were unloaded and secure back in their shelter kennels and all the cages and other equipment was stored, some final congratulatory and thanking words were spoken to the assembled volunteers by Hayate and the other leads and then it was the official end of the event. She made it back to his side immediately.

"Come on, let's head this way," she took the lead heading to the teriyaki place she knew, and Aizawa fell into step beside her. Her nerves were such that she didn't speak at all on the walk there, her mind whirring with things to say and putting them together into a conversation with brimming anticipation. When they arrived at the restaurant, they were seated in a private room space at a low table on tatami floors. They sat facing each other and arranged their legs casually with Aizawa sitting cross-legged hunched over the menu flat on the table and Hayate side-legged with her back straight and the menu tilted up. As soon as their orders were placed and the menus departed, she settled her hands in her lap and her sights on him with equal parts nervous and eager energy.

 _Finally! I can just focus on him._ She looked him over as he lifted the beer he'd ordered; hard-pressed to pick tea over a beer any day even after last night, it was something light to take it easy for the coming camp week. Hayate's eyes settled on his bruised cheek and lingered there.

"You know, I never did ask how you got that bruise."

"I got punched in the face," he replied without looking up, the cup not pausing.

She made a face. "I figured _that_ much out."

The corner of his lip twitched back in amusement at her tone, and the cup paused. "… Student training. Sparring." He looked down at his drink for a few moments at the memory. "It was a good punch."

"Student? I thought your summer training camp started tomorrow."

"It does." He started to move the cup again.

"So what was this training for?"

The cup paused again, his eyes slipping to the side in thought. That was going to be a lot to explain. "… Just a little extra teaching this summer." He looked back at his drink and finally took a first sip.

Hayate gave him some time in silence as she thought that over. Summer teaching? Was it his hero class? Wasn't he going to expel them? Did he change his mind? Questions danced on the tip of her tongue but she clamped down on them with her teeth. The last time they'd talked about this, the result hadn't been so positive.

"... I, um, last time I asked, it seemed like your students were struggling a bit. I don't want to pry… but how are things?"

His eyes lifted to her over the top of his cup, then settled on the table as he lowered the glass. 'Last time' of course referring to when he'd met her fair criticism with irritable snark he lamented in silent deliberation staring at the wood grain. "… I did some things differently. It's too early to say with finality if they've worked. But… there have been some promising signs."

She perked up a little at that in relief. "That's good news. You, uh, look tired. More than usual, heh."

"… Yeah. It's been a busy summer."

"I'll bet. Have you had any free time for yourself?"

"Not really."

"Nothing but a workaholic, huh? What about your coworkers?"

"What about them?"

"If you've been working all the time, have you done anything with them?"

Aizawa suppressed a karaoke-induced shudder and started to raise his glass again. "… Nothing of note."

 _Huh. Not gonna give me any conversation for free, I see._ Not that the brevity and vagueness of his answers surprised her.

"Well, I've been pretty efficient with my summer. Managed to have a good time and do a teambuilding exercise at the same time."

"That's nice. Efficiency is logical." Well, sometimes. When it didn't involve karaoke. He started to lift the glass.

"Have you ever done escape the room?"

He blinked and pulled the cup back slightly, looking at her. "Have I… 'done' escape the room? I've escaped rooms if that's what you're asking."

She laughed. "No! 'Escape the room' as in, an activity. Escape rooms."

He stared at her blankly. "… This is for fun?"

"Yes. You've never heard of them before?"

"If it's a room I'm trying to get out of, I don't see the appeal of wanting in it in the first place. That sounds like a waste of time." He lifted the cup again.

"I bet I could convince you otherwise."

He glanced over the top of his glass to find her fixing him with a sly smile. He didn't move for a few moments, giving the challenge pause. The look on her face promised some witty rhetoric. Tempting. "… Seriously?"

" _Seriously_ ," she returned with a, well, _serious_ nod.

The glass lowered. "… Fine." _Can't be more ridiculous than wet coffee. Or that animal Quirk book … or karaoke._ "What sort of room is this?"

She leaned forward eagerly and took a breath to begin. Aizawa listened to her explanation of the room and all its puzzles and benefits; working under pressure, coordination, communication, time crunch, mental connections, cognitive function, mood elevation. It didn't actually sound so terrible, though he made a show of reluctantly relenting to her position just to draw out her wit with devil's advocate. He underestimated her though as she countered his sarcastic and clipped commentary by asking for his views on education in relative relation to such benefits, and oh boy was that a deep rabbit hole.

He tried to get out of it with a brush over statement of deterrence and lifted his drink, but she deflected this attempt with a question. And when he gave a short response to that, another question. And then another, followed by another probing his thoughts and making it rather clear that he wasn't getting out of it with a display of indifference as he lowered the glass back to the table, and there was no train-imposed limitation on their chat, either.

It occurred to him that Hayate didn't talk to him like Yamada did. Yamada flitted between topics like a sparrow through the branches of a bush, brisk and constantly chirping, but fleeting and quick so he didn't wear out his friend's nerves with a rapid fire in-depth interrogation. It was an overview check-in on the state of Aizawa's affairs which he could mostly tune out as background chattering noise.

Hayate's questions were not so superficial. She dug a deeper burrow with each question. And when his interest waned or patience grew thin, she abandoned the one and dug in a new direction, connecting tunnels in reference between them and dragging him further down with her. Brushing her off did nothing to shift her focus. She just stubbornly dug around the rock that was his indifference and kept going. Even their food arriving didn't distract her for long. If such a thing had come from Yamada and his twittering in twenty different directions, he would have shut down in irritability and slammed back another drink to tolerate it. But the level of liquid in his glass declined slowly. She didn't let him get away with any short answers, but she was tactful about picking directions that he had an opinion about. All in pursuit of one thing.

 _I want to know you._

He could see it in her eyes that never left him and hear it through the enthusiasm of her voice. She was so focused on him. Did she really miss their morning chats that much? Why?

He studied her as he wondered, his eyes gazing at the blue rings of her own with such intent that he didn't notice it made her look away shyly. This caused her hair to shift, and his eyes flicked to the motion of the strands, a shine to them that made their dark purple color more interesting. They ended past her chin, to her neck… She always had it covered so it was pale, and soft-looking. His eyes followed the trail of her jugular down to the notch of her collarbone, the top of her chest. Her shirt showed a lot of her shoulders and chest, but not too much. He couldn't see any cleavage of her breasts, though he didn't dislike that, the shirt fit her well; and he did look, which, had he been thinking, he would not have, but his mind was blank in an odd way, in that moment focused on her details that he hadn't taken notice of before and never usually would. Like how the flowers of her blouse and hair cover were a good match for the scent of her perfume, a faint presence of it drifting across the table and creeping into his awareness, the same brand that he'd never smelled before meeting her and that distinctively singled her out. A dull ache started in his chest, an unsettled feeling which made him question himself while his eyes stayed pinned on her body without him realizing, his mind's silence disturbed by a quiet thought.

… _Did I miss her?_

"—did you?" Her head turned back his way as she questioned him. Hayate found him looking at her but he made no acknowledgement of her words. She recognized that he was looking at her but that his eyes weren't meeting hers. They were aimed lower. At her chest. Her cheeks flushed. _How long has he been staring?!_ Not that she was unhappy, exactly; more like flustered and surprised that her choice of shirt had paid off. She'd been so focused on directing the conversation that she hadn't noticed… Wait. She stared at his eyes. He wasn't moving at all. Focus. He was so _focused_. Her breath hitched with a jolt of realization and she checked on the thought held in place at the back of her mind, confirming her fear. _Dammit! I lost focus!_

Aizawa finally stirred as she suddenly shifted up. "I'm going to go the restroom." She scurried up and away quickly, exiting the room without looking back.

She was gone so suddenly. He stared at the empty doorway, his mind snapping back into action. _… What?_ His brow furrowed in a frown, eyes dropping to the table. _Why the hell was I staring at her?_ She was physically attractive, sure, but he'd long since acknowledged that and glossed over it ever since. It was just wasn't a big deal to him. His eyes flicked up to her empty seat. It felt like she had left behind a void at the table, both physically and by the heavy feeling in his chest. _Why…_

He looked down to his drink. It wasn't quite empty yet. His first drink of the night. She kept him talking, so he hadn't finished it, yet. That was so unusual for him. By this point in the night, he'd be on his third if he were with Yamada. It made his chest feel heavier, and he didn't like that. This confusion, like he was pining over her absence… he didn't bother putting a name to it as he shunned it, sliding the glass away with a tight exhale and closing his eyes and rubbing them, but he could put a more practical label on it. _How irrational._

Hayate entered the restroom and turned to the sink, taking note of her own irritated reflection. _I was focused so hard on him I lost my concentration._ She brought her hands up in front of her into loose fists and focused. A sharp spasm of objection ran through her skin, and she hissed at the feeling. She relented to it, closing her palms.

"… Hit my limit, huh."

She paced across the bathroom with a fretful expression, rubbing her tender hands together. _I didn't even notice that I relaxed it… I was just having a good time. What am I going to do…? I can't keep it going. I have to tell him. Dammit, why did I wait so long?!_

She stopped, paused, and then sighed and approached the bathroom counter, putting her hands out flat on the cool surface to relieve the ache and looked disheartened at her reflection. _… No, I know why. Who wants to be the one who might ruin a good time?_

She scoffed and closed her eyes, head dropping a little. _Thinking about a relationship without even telling him about it first. No, I've got to clear this up... Not going to start this off with a misunderstanding or a lie. And if he doesn't take it well…_

Her eyes opened and lifted back to the mirror, hope reflecting in her eyes. _It's Aizawa. He's going to be logical about it, of course… I've got to be logical about it, too. It's not logical to keep him in the dark anymore._

She pushed away from the counter with a huff and squared her shoulders. _I'm doing this!_ She exited the restroom and made her way back to their table.

Hayate entered and found him hunched over his meal eating with his glass pushed to the side. He glanced up at her return and she smiled back at him nervously, taking a seat and folding her legs straight under her. "Pretty good food, right?"

"Yeah…" His eyes lingered on her, his feelings almost wary of her from moments ago.

She fidgeted for a few moments, balling her hands onto her thighs and darting her eyes around the room before she pulled her gaze back to him. "Hey, Aizawa-san, there's something I want to tell you."

He perked up a little at that, lowering his chopsticks. "Okay."

Her eyes shifted away from him. "Can you, uh… close your eyes for a second?"

 _Huh?_ He stared at her blankly, then his eyes narrowed a tad in suspicion. "… This isn't a prank, is it?"

She looked back at him sharply in confusion. "What? No." He didn't look immediately convinced. "Are you used to that kind of thing, or something?"

He gave a small shrug. "Some people I know would." It was a rather odd request, and completely out of the blue.

Hayate resisted rolling her eyes, settling for a huff instead. "It's not a prank! Please, just close your eyes."

He studied her for a moment more then decided that the serious look in her eyes was worth granting her odd request. He set his chopsticks down and closed his eyes then waited for further instruction.

Hayate watched him then slowly leaned forward raising her right hand. She extended it out across the table and in front of his face beneath his nose. She focused her eyes on the back of her hand.

"What do you smell?"

He sniffed and was immediately struck by punch of scent that made his heart quicken with a jolt. "… Your perfume?"

"You can open your eyes now."

Aizawa opened his eyes to find her hand in front of his nose. Looking at it, he immediately observed purple, mist-like particles emanating out of the skin on the back of her hand.

"This is my Quirk."

Her words made his brow knit in confusion and he flicked his eyes up to her. "Your Quir—?" His breath hitched and he stopped short when he saw her, his mind seizing up.

Aizawa could comfortably count on one hand the number of times he had experienced a moment of being awestruck by a woman, and virtually all of those cases from yesteryears which he could attribute to newly abounding teenage hormones being the culprit. Getting flustered around women just wasn't his deal. He could recognize beauty, he'd _look_ , sure, and appreciate the view, but the thought of actually acting on that instinctive inclination was banished in short order with a logical assessment of the hassle and effort involved. He just didn't _get_ what the big deal was. Typically this progression was processed so quickly that outwardly his appearance gave no indication of it whatsoever.

But no logical order came to his mind in this moment. As he stared at her, lungs frozen, waiting for his mind to start turning again, as if suddenly dunked in iced water… that moment didn't come, overwhelmed by _that instinct_. She was intensely attractive in such a jarring manner that he could offer nothing but stunned silence. He swallowed hard, finding his mouth suddenly uncomfortably dry. He was very thankful that he hadn't finished the last of his beer. He tried to break whatever the hell this, this _spell_ was with a purposeful raise of his beer for a sip, but his eyes didn't leave her for an instant and the feeling didn't pass. Something was wrong here. His logical mind _wasn't working_. His wetted mouth did finally open, though, and he managed a few quiet words, the only logical thing that he could manage to grasp.

"I… thought you were Quirkless."

His visible struggling hadn't escaped Hayate's notice in the slightest, and she sighed as the particles stopped coming out of her skin and she retracted her hand. She tucked her arms around herself in a hug, looking down at the table in an apologetic way. "I'm sorry… I haven't been forthcoming with you. It wasn't to be malicious, I just… it was for my own comfort, I guess you could say.

My Quirk is 'Pheromones'. It's a mutant type Quirk that makes glands throughout my body secrete a… well, a _sex_ pheromone. Men are affected primarily. The effects on those who smell it are two-fold; triggering my sexual attractiveness to them, and lowering their inhibitions to act on that attraction."

Aizawa slowly absorbed that information, still recovering from her Quirk. He realized his jaw was hanging open, so he clicked it shut. The exposure to it had been brief, thankfully, and with her hand retracted his mind was already clearing just in time to puzzle all that over. A Quick she hadn't told him about? An _aphrodisiac_ Quirk at that? His eyes suddenly snapped wide. _Holy shit._ That explained so much. The sense of longing in his chest; looking at her body; a peppering of memories where her scent had caught his attention pouring into his mind. His own inexplicable actions found a single source of logical validation, and with it came a wave of relief. _It was just her Quirk._ This personal revelation was accompanied by a pregnant pause in which he was staring at Hayate, completely unreadable, making her fidget further before clearing her throat and look down at the table, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Anyway… I'm sorry for not telling you about this sooner, and sort of lying about it when you asked if I had a Quirk… or at the very least, not correcting you back then."

He considered that for a few moments, still feeling perplexed. Apologizing for and lying about such a basic detail about oneself didn't make much sense. "Alright… but why not tell me in the first place? And why did you choose now to bring this up?"

She sighed and looked off to the side. "… I try not to bring attention to it. But the thing about my Quirk is that I can't turn it off. Pheromones are secreted gradually and continually as a natural part of my physiology. It is a mutant Quirk. And for that reason, sometimes my Quirk can cause problems with people.

I've had some occasions where my Quirk affected someone's significant other, and when I tried to explain my Quirk they didn't believe me and accused me of doing it on purpose to seduce them. Other times, it's been trying to explain it to guys who are affected and then they think I'm just being coy and flirting with them, which I'm not. If I have to take a train when it's busy and it has a Quirk-accommodation car, I'll get in that one to avoid as much people as I can. But then I look 'normal' for whatever that's worth, and that means the people with obvious mutant Quirks on the car all give me the stink eye for 'taking up a spot'. My Quirk isn't easily _seen_ , so it _seems_ like an emitter type. And if it's 'emitting', then I must be doing it on purpose to get that sort of attention so the thinking goes.

I'd like to just go about my day like it doesn't exist, but it has a way of making itself known without me meaning to. It's impossible to completely eliminate your natural scent. I do what I can to manage it with lifestyle choices and actively suppress it when I have to, and I just try to avoid causing any conflict with people around me. Bringing it up on purpose is something I'd rather not do unless I feel like it's necessary as it tends to make social situations quite awkward. Which, with you… I felt that it was. The longer we know each other, the more likely it'll happen to affect you… I think it already has, a few times, if you've noticed."

She paused with a look, leaving that statement open-ended for him to pick up. Aizawa ran all that through his head for a time in silence. It made logical sense. And it was unfortunate. It was a Quirk ill-suited for a crowded society, both embarrassing by nature and unpredictable to control. He gave a slow nod, his tone soft as he spoke. "That makes sense… It doesn't sound like an easy thing to deal with. Although, you have masked it well. There have been a few times I've noticed, but they were rare and I wrote it off as perfume. On a daily basis, at the train every morning… I wouldn't have guessed anything unusual." Logically, the thought had never crossed his mind upon smelling something nice to suspect it was a woman giving off Quirk-induced sex pheromones in a train station around strangers at 5 am in the morning over more plausible answers; like perfume.

Hayate nodded, relaxing a little. "I'm glad it hasn't been much of a bother. Although, on that note…" Her eyes flicked away, a guilty look settling into her eyes. "I… kind of have to own up to something. Do you remember when I asked you to come to the adoption event?"

He looked at her blankly. That was a while back. "Yeah…?"

"Remember anything odd?"

He thought about it, and then the connection clicked. "You moved closer on the bench and opened your jacket… I smelled your Quirk then." His brow creased in a frown. "You used your Quirk on me, then?"

She gave a wishy-washy tilt of her head. "Well, I didn't _activate_ it… but I did rely on that continual factor I mentioned." She set her eyes on him with a sudden pout. "I wanted you to come to the adoption event, but you were being so stubborn about it with all your excuses. So I just gave you a little nudge so you'd shut up and say yes."

His eyebrow twitched up a little. _Snarky._ "… So I brought it on myself, huh?" The crease in his brow deepened at the implications of that. "… Wait. Your Quirk— _persuaded_ me to come?"

Hayate was quick to shake to her head. "Not quite. I wouldn't call it that. My Quirk is a lot more basic than that in a biological sense. It's more like it put a desire in you to give your… 'potential mate' what she wanted." Hayate's expression settled into something more serious. "And I wouldn't have tried that with just anyone. It doesn't change your personality or make you behave contrary to your moral character. It just makes you bolder to act on that attraction. For you, that was pretty harmless. For someone else, though, it might be different… like getting aggressive if pursuing that affection wasn't reciprocated.

At any rate, I shouldn't have relied on it like that. You didn't know about it, and I didn't say anything about it, either." She smiled a little. "Even if it was to get you to come play with a kitten. It wasn't very honest, regardless."

 _Aggressive, huh?_ She tried to gloss over it with kittens, but to Aizawa, a Quirk that put her into compromising positions beyond her control was a far more serious detail which stood out to him quite a bit more than her apology. Regardless of how much it seemed to concern her, it didn't particularly bother him what she'd done with her rather innocent intent, not to mention it had been worth it to come today. Controlling a threat to her safety, on the other hand…

"… Would you mind activating your Quirk again?"

"Huh?" She looked at him sharply in confusion.

He realized how odd the request must have seemed in response to what she'd just said. "It's not a prank," he deadpanned.

Her lips twitched at his reassurance. Had she been less tense, she would have chuckled. She lifted her arm hesitantly. "Uh, okay…"

He watched her hand reach out across the table to him, though she hesitated in bringing it too close to his face. He waited until he saw the purple mist start to trickle out of her skin, and then he blinked, eyes flashing red.

A shiver ran up Hayate's right arm from her hand; the feeling of her activated pheromone glands being forced to relax against her will. It was a very strange sensation, but she recognized it for what it was with Aizawa's glowing eyes and the loose strands of his bun lifting against gravity. Her expression immediately brightened, eyes fixed on her hand. "You stopped it! I didn't notice that with Erasure before—oh, it must have been because I wasn't trying to use it back then, when you looked at me with your Quirk for the first time, remember?" She looked up at his face for confirmation, but her excitement quickly fell at the sight of him. "… Oh."

Aizawa was looking at her intensely, all the more so with his eyes blazing. He had a hand clamped around his nose and mouth to block the particles out and pinch his nose shut. _Holy shit._ It was extremely disconcerting how arousing that pheromone was, and he knew she wasn't even going all out with that timid wisp of it. He thought back over the time he'd known Hayate, picking out all the times he'd recalled noticing her perfume—well, her _Quirk_ , he now knew logically. All those times it had certainly caught his attention for a moment, but she wasn't _trying_ with her Quirk in those instances like she was here. The effect was like getting punched by a rampaging surge of teenage hormones from completely out of nowhere, and their focus was entirely dedicated to drawing that certain brand of attention to Hayate.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to stop looking at her and take a few moments to compose himself. That test had confirmed his suspicion, at least. As a mutant type Quirk, he could temporarily block the physical component of her Quirk which produced the pheromone, but he could not erase the scent particles that she had already released.

Hayate looked a bit guilty and fidgeted, observing his posture indecisively for a few moments before speaking up. "… It's alright, you don't have to worry about trying to control it for me. I've got that covered better than Erasure. I can either make my Quirk produce more pheromones, or suppress it to make less… the latter is of more use, obviously." Her eyes flicked away with a grimace. "Well, usually, anyway. Forcing it to make more or less is an active state. I can only do that for so long before it starts to get physically painful. Plus, it takes a conscious effort to sustain it. If I get distracted by something and forget about it, then my Quirk will relax again. Both of those things happened tonight, with you… I hit my limit, and I lost focus on it when we were talking. So… I kind of had to tell you."

Aizawa eventually cleared his throat and opened his eyes to squint at her, relaxing the pinch on his nose. "… How long can you suppress it for?"

Hayate shrugged a little. "Around nine hours… ten is pushing it past its limit, but I did that today."

His eyes widened. "… You were using it _all_ day?"

"Uh-huh."

He continued to stare at her.

She fidgeted, feeling pressed for explanation. "Riding the train in the morning, then the whole event—although I did give it a fifteen-minute break at lunchtime—and then after the event, too, with you, until I couldn't anymore…" Her voice trailed off.

Ten hours. _That's insane._ There were plenty of Pro Heroes who couldn't use their Quirk for ten hours straight. Hell, he was one of them. Just the thought made his eyes want to bleed. No one developed that level of Quirk endurance overnight. Was she really that concerned about suppressing it so strongly? He reflected on his own reactions to it, his hand still over his nose and mouth warily. If anybody walking by would take notice of her Quirk like he did just sitting across from her…

"Is the...effect _always_ that strong?"

Hayate hesitated and looked embarrassed. "No… that's the other 'great' part." She gave a bit of a huff, looking about awkwardly. "You know how animals use scent to communicate their, uh, mating receptiveness? Well… the exact same deal. My Quirk's potency fluctuates with my menstrual cycle. When I ovulate, it's highest, and at the opposite time of the month, it's lowest. And obviously, that's completely involuntary." She paused for a moment, eyes pinned on anything but him, then added, "And I'm not going to make you ask that. I'm ovulating about now. So… that's why."

 _Oh jeez._ Aizawa closed his eyes again. Sex pheromones _and_ menstrual cycles. It didn't take more than a fraction of a second of logical thought to put together how awkward as hell to bring that up casually in conversation would be, all the more so with someone you didn't know very well, yet. And if someone started asking for more details or a demonstration of her Quirk, it would get even more embarrassing. Her reluctance in telling him about it made all the more sense, especially based on how even someone as stoic as him had reacted to it. Which meant that, logically, the best thing to do moving forward would be…

He took a stabilizing breath through his mouth then pulled his hand away from his face and into a loose fist on the table to match his other hand. He opened his eyes with his expression returning to neutrality. Her scent still did linger on, creeping across the table to tease his senses like it had before when he'd caught himself staring at her body, but this time he staunchly refused to make any further indication of her Quirk's effect on him by keeping his eyes pinned on her eyes. Logically, his conclusion was: making this uncomfortable subject progress as smoothly as possible was what Hayate would want.

"Got it. Anything else I should know?" He asked levelly.

She looked back at him in slight surprise. _He sounds… a lot calmer than I expected._ Bringing up menstrual cycles to a guy usually got more of a reaction than that. She studied his blank expression for a few moments. He was unreadable, and she hesitated, wondering if he really was as calm as he seemed. Was he just reassuring her? Because that's what Pro Heroes did? She wasn't certain, and so she answered him uncertainly in turn. "…Those are the most important things to know… There are other details I could go into; like what I do to manage it, or certain situations."

"Nah. That's fine."

She blinked in surprise and looked at him.

He looked back at her, saying nothing.

"… Really?" She didn't sound convinced.

"Yes." Her incredulous stare demanded more of an explanation than that, and after a few moments he elaborated with a shrug. "If you don't think it's necessary, there's no need to talk about it. It's fine."

Hayate's brow creased in worry. "… Are you really sure, though? I mean… I lied to you about it. If you want to know, I'm okay telling you."

Aizawa's neutral expression softened at that. "… I get it. It's not an easy Quirk to get on with. And sure, I could sit here and grill you over every little detail until I know your Quirk as well as you do, but I just don't care."

Hayate froze up a little at that. "W-What?" _You don't… care?_

He shifted forward on the table, looking her in the eye. "It didn't matter to me when I thought that you were Quirkless. A Quirk doesn't change anything for me. I'll adjust accordingly to what I know about it, and that's it. I'm not angry at you. There's nothing else you have to feel obligated to tell me. Your Quirk doesn't change anything."

A rush of emotions spread through Hayate's mind, and her lips tightened for a moment with her eyes starting to water. He kept his eyes on hers steadily, then she blinked and looked down with the corners of her lips pulling back a little. _Your Quirk doesn't change anything._ That was how he felt. It was a great relief and confirmation at once. He didn't hold her dishonesty against her, and he proved again why this flame in her heart kept growing. She looked back at him with a smile.

"… That's such a logical answer. Heh, exactly what I'd expect from you… thank you."

He nodded. "Don't worry about it."

It was always the same with him, she thought. Always trying to brush off any acknowledgment. Being the thankless hero seemed to be his preferred roll. She couldn't tell by his reaction: did he really get it? How much it did mean to her? _I want you get how I feel about you._

Her heart sped up and her stomach rolled with nervousness. She looked away him, though about it, and mustered her courage. _Tell him._ She pulled in a breath and looked at him with a mind to act before her self-doubt could catch up. She met his eyes and started to open her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He was looking at her so intently. The fear flickered through her mind. He hadn't stopped looking at her at all, had he? Was it just him being attentive? Was it inconsequential? Or was it her Quirk? Her eyes dropped from his to the table again where his meal and hers sat and had sat ignored for the length of their conversation.

"… Guess our food's getting cold."

His eyes did leave hers then, following them down to his plate. "Yeah. Guess so."

And just like that, the page turned. Hayate didn't speak of her Quirk again, and Aizawa didn't ask. She picked up their conversation right where they had left it with a teasing remark, and then he was back again with a deadpan rebuttal. They ate, they talked, and she even roused a few chuckles from him. Aizawa didn't order another drink. Hayate didn't stop asking him questions, even starting to turn to the most ridiculous of things; his favorite color ("Is it black? It must be black."), music ("Silence, probably. Or maybe that sleep delta wave music."), and even more trivia.

Okay, he was starting to get tempted for a second drink. And yet… he didn't stop her. Perhaps it was because of her Quirk brushing his senses, but he refused to acknowledge it openly. No, he genuinely did appreciate her company; her wit, persistence, and conversational tact. He'd be the last reason for her discomfort. He'd make sure of it.

" _Your Quirk doesn't change anything."_

Hayate smiled, she laughed, and prodded him to sarcasm with her teasing. It was real, but somewhere in her smile there was a mask. Behind it hid the fear and doubt, the longing and the denial to herself of words unspoken to him. She wished he was right. But he was wrong.

" _Your Quirk doesn't change anything."_

 _It does matter. I can't do it… I can't say how I feel about you right now. Not when my Quirk's at its peak and I can't trust a thing. Not when you've put me first tonight. I can't put you on the spot like that. That's not fair._ _People can be cruel, but… you're not._

It was safe to hide in her burrow of familiar conversation, digging up answers down tunnels assured that he'd follow in his predictable, blasé yet humorously snarky way. To venture above ground into the unknown, taking a leap into uncharted territory not knowing if he'd follow, or if he did, if he was truthfully going to venture out at her side, or if it was a lie… that was a journey she was too afraid to start tonight.

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"Is the train going to be a problem?" Aizawa eyed the numerous people gathered waiting at the station. It was after 5 pm on a Saturday. It was also the first time he'd made suggestion to her Quirk since dinner.

Hayate shook her head. "Nah. This line's not too bad right now." Hands at her sides, she rubbed her fingers along her palms as she constricted the glands. _Better._ "Also, I was able to rest it during dinner, so I'll be fine getting home." _Thanks to you,_ she thought privately, glancing Aizawa's way. He hadn't given any indication of her Quirk after those two intentional displays. She was certain it had been acting on him, however, he was holding true to his word. Maybe for him, it truly did change nothing…

To Aizawa's ears, that was a relief. If had been necessary to spend the better part of another hour struggling against his roaming eyes, he would have kept them closed tight the whole ride to avoid the problem. It wasn't even a conscious decision; sitting across from her as they talked, whenever his focus had wavered from keeping his eyes up, sucked into conversation, they had found a habit of drifting back down her neck before he caught them again. He refused to acknowledge it, though. At the very least, if this was her Quirk's normal state at its worst, then he had the confidence of tolerating it at any other point in her cycle.

Hayate picked the front car of the train, and Aizawa didn't question her choice; the first and last cars were the last to be crowded with cars closer to the entryway preferred by boarders. They took a seat beside each other. Like the rides of their morning commute, they fell into a comfortable, familiar silence despite the reversed hour of day and direction of travel.

When they arrived, they paused outside the station. Hayate glanced down the road one way then back at Aizawa with a smile. "Well… I'm headed that way."

He nodded, eyes flicking away to gesture down another path. "Yeah, guess we'll split here." His eyes stayed pinned on the distance as he thought for a few moments on what to add to that, a hand coming to rub the back of his neck. "… Overall, that was actually enjoyable." Or maybe karaoke the night before had set the bar low.

Hayate chuckled. _Was that supposed to be complimentary?_ "You sound like you're surprised you had a good time."

He shrugged, hand falling away and back to his pocket. "Eh, well… me and social events don't usually go together."

 _Yeah… like my Quirk._ She looked him over for a moment, wondering when she'd get to see him next; at all, or looking a little bit nicer like this. "How busy are you the rest of the summer?"

"Pretty much every day of mine is booked. Probably not going to be slipping any coffee breaks in there… I'll let you know, though, if the chance comes up."

"Sounds good," she nodded, then with a bit of a smirk and slight tilt of her head, she add, "You know, we could text now, too. I've got a backlog of cute pictures from the kittens I could send your way."

He cracked a smile. "Hmph, yeah, that sounds good. The most practical way we'll talk, probably."

"Yeah…" For a moment, neither of them moved, both looking each other in the eye for a pause. Waiting, perhaps, for a reason to linger there longer. Hayate was the first to move, stepping back to turn away with a farewell smile. "Have a good night, Aizawa-san. And the rest of your summer, too."

"You too, Hayate-san." He followed her lead, turning away slowly with his eye on her until the turn was complete.

Both of them started to walk away, and when a fair distance was between them, Hayate's feet slowed with the weight of one more thing on her tongue and she looked back over her shoulder. "Hey, one more thing…"

He stopped and cast a questioning look over his shoulder.

She looked a bit sheepish, but proceeded earnestly, anyway. "It's probably a tall order for you, but… try to take care of yourself along with all your hard work, okay?" Her expression and voice turned teasing. "You clean up pretty nice with a shave and a bit of effort, but you still look ready to drop dead into your sleeping bag."

His lip twitched back wryly. He made an exasperated noise and nearly rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'll see what I can do." He turned back around and started walking again, muttering far too loudly for it to be just to himself. "I would have brought it, too, if you hadn't told me not to."

She turned away with a laugh at his grumbling. _Sounds like a cranky old cat!_ She started walking again with a smile of amusement still tugging at her lips.

"You watch out for yourself, too."

She stopped and made a half turn to look back at him, surprised that he'd spoken again. He hadn't made a full turn, just a glance aimed her way over his shoulder.

"If you have a problem with your Quirk, or someone else does… don't hesitate to contact me. You don't have to hold that back."

Her eyes widened a little, then her expression shifted to one of gratitude as she held his eye.

"… Right. Thank you."

He didn't reply, turning his head forward again and continuing on his way. Hayate watched him go for a few seconds, then she turned away as well. Her chin was tilted down as she walked, eyes on the ground. _You don't have to hold that back…_ She pulled her head back, straightening her spine and her gaze. _You're right. I don't… I won't. Next time we see each other… Yeah. I'll tell you then._

Aizawa didn't look back again, but the farther he went, the more it felt he was some unfortunate fish on the end of a line pulling against his urge to look back. _My chest feels heavy… why am I so unsettled leaving her…?_ He bowed his gaze to the ground, slouching forward against the tug. That final teasing look on her face lingered in his mind's eye and the wit of her comment in his ears. It had even sounded complimentary.

He closed his eyes tightly, squeezing the image out. _No. It's just her Quirk. That feeling is completely irrational._ He opened them again and continued on with his mind quiet in silent dismissal of that feeling, because it was the same as what he felt back at dinner. At that point in time, he had found a logical conclusion for this sense of longing in him. But what he did not consider was that her scent had long since left his nostrils, and also that he had misunderstood the nature of both her Quirk and his own feelings. It was just as Hayate had said; Pheromones was a Quirk of a very basic nature. It triggered her _sexual_ attractiveness and lowered the inhibitions to act on that attraction— _no more_. By his own thoughts, he had already confirmed his feeling for her not to be of a sexual nature. What feeling remained in her Quirk's absence was genuine connection, disregarded with one kind of attraction mistaken for the other in their moment of overlap. For her comfort, and for his rationality, he would not think to acknowledge this error tonight.

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 **-Next couple chapters will require particular care because I have to set up some things coming down the road.** I feel like the tone of this chapter was a bit off from what I expected, but I had a hard time putting my finger on it. I think it's because it wasn't as lighthearted or amusing as previous chapters, which I'm going to attribute to the transition of progressing into the next stage of this story. I have to admit, the 'middle game' of this story is the weakest area of my outline, mainly because I have the gist of things but not many of the details, yet. I know where we're going, but it might take me extra time to figure out how we're getting there! Also, I'm starting college classes at the end of this month so I'll be busier. Stay tuned, dear listeners.

 **-And with the passing of the torch (ahem, cat toy), Mic is in new hands now.** I know a lot of people predicted that Mic the kitten would end up being Aizawa's cat, but it was my intention from the beginning that this wouldn't be the case. Like the man said himself, the two of them weren't a logical match with their energy levels, lack of living space, and ability to satisfy attention. Mic had an important role to play in this arc of the story in drawing Hayate and Aizawa together, but now he's off to have his own story with someone who needed him that he fit with perfectly, and that's just the way Aizawa would like it. But fear not, he's not the last kitten this story will see ;)

 **-At long last, Hayate's Quirk is revealed!** Though it's been there from the very beginning in chapter 1. For those of you have been putting together the hints I scattered about, how close do you feel you figured out her Quirk? I wish I had been able to better hint at the monthly cycle element of her Quirk, but there just never was a way that jumped out to me other than how sporadically Aizawa happened to notice her scent.

Pheromones have been found in almost every kind of animal, spanning hundreds of thousands of species ranging from tiny ants to massive elephants. However, the impact of pheromones on humans is still in contention among scientists today with the complexity of human behavior and subtlety of chemical influencers on our relatively weak olfactory systems being major obstacles in settling the debate. This scientific uncertainty hasn't stopped the media, love gurus, and perfume companies from proclaiming sex pheromones as being the answer to landing that hot date. Taking this real-world background and applying it to MHA's universe, a human developing a Quirk that produces potent sex pheromones would be very well-founded in natural evolution. And as for how such a Quirk would impact an individual's romantic relationships… well, it's complicated! And I will leave it at that for this chapter, along with a little bit of naming trivia for you (in honor of Horikoshi's naming gimmick):

Hayate Aika 疾風 愛香

Hayate (疾風) is a Japanese word and name which can mean "fresh breeze" and is also the name of a train service in Japan; both meanings are fitting as her Quirk is detected by scent and her story with Aizawa begins at a train station. Ironically, she hates trains because of how crowded they can be despite their necessity in her daily life. "Aika" consists of the kanji for "love" (愛) and "fragrance" (香). Bonus points if you know the canon character who also has (香) in their name ;) P.S. I had way too much fun being silly with kanji while making her name. Totally see why Horikoshi does it!


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